HOSPITAL AWKWARDNESS

We ask some questions in passing that are simply noise:

"How are you?"

And there are certain places were this little trivia inquiry come across as SOOOOO stupid.

The hospital is one.

It's also the wrong place to say, "Hope to see you again!" when you are leaving.

It's difficult almost anywhere to catch a person's eye and not have them immediately look away; it's almost a threat to most people.

But in a hospital, there is almost a sense of comradely - you're there because you are sick, someone you care about is sick, or you are taking care of people who are sick.

So the eye contact is easier and usually accompanied by some sort of facial 'chin-or-thumbs up' gesture.

When you've been there more than a couple of days, it seems like the people in the cafeteria almost recognize you - the cleaning ladies smile at you - the staff is easier to grab hold of.

And you learn the shortest way to the cafeteria - you know where the restrooms are - you even begin entering the hospital back through the laundry way because it's shorter.

For me, even the drive is becoming pretty easy. I stop at the convenience place before I get on I-10 -- I get a cheeseburger at In-n-Out on the way home -- and I seem to hit even red light on Kolb no matter how slow or how fast I do.

I just wonder how much longer I am going to be doing this.