Imagine the unfortunate possibility of having to go to the emergency room at the hospital. When you arrive you are surprised to see someone playing the guitar in the waiting room. That person could be me. I don't often play there but yesterday my shift on the ICU floors ended a bit early but did not allow enough time to go to another floor. So with my remaining 20 mins, I went to the ER.
In my case, it is a friendly place to be as I know most of the security guards and ER staff. Upon seeing me, one of the officers stood up to give me his chair (there were no extras in the room yesterday).
I love the moment of when I take out my guitar and sit down and start playing. The room filled with tension and anxiety is suddenly quiet and focused on the music. This used to make me kind of nervous but after years of playing my guitar in unusual places, I have grown accustomed to the curious onlookers.
As I sat playing to a crowded ER waiting room, I saw that even though these folks must be in a lot of discomfort, they were all making the best of it. One man was holding up a cell phone with a game for a woman in a wheelchair to play. Their laughter brought smiles from neighboring people. Another woman sat with her eyes closed with a big smile on her face. Some people were eating snacks from the cafe and others just sat listening to my guitar.
As I was leaving, a man asked me about my guitar -where it was made, etc. I often get a lot of questions about it. It is such a conversation starter, having an instrument in the hospital. It makes people think of positive things in life--music, songs, memories. I was glad to be there yesterday.
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