March 20, 2011

Let It Be #1
Bozeman, Montana
2011

Suppose your spouse (or significant other or parent or just someone you care for a great deal) has been in surgery for almost ten hours and the doctors told you it would only take five and they haven’t told you much of anything since the surgery started except everything was “fine” and it has been two hours since anyone has said anything to you at all and in fact all the visible hospital employees are leaving the building and come eight in the evening you’re still waiting, the only person in a large, empty room and it’s gray and dreary out, and it’s starting to snow and getting dark. How would you maintain your vigil, allowing yourself legitimate concern but occupying yourself to keep your imagination from taking your mind to places you don’t want to go? What calming techniques would you use? In my case, I went to my car and grabbed a camera and starting taking photos from the waiting area. Did it work? To a degree yes. This story had a happy ending–everything came out fine, and now I have a short series of photos from that evening to share over the next few days.