The ways of the world seems to be taking a chunk of my world from me. I am a sentimental person; always have been and always will be. There are certain places and things that have been a part of my life that I hold dear as if they are medicine for my soul. They make me feel good when I see them or even think about them. And, believe it or not, hospitals are among those places that hold a special place in my heart. St. Marys Hospital in Knoxville, is one such hospital. While I am told that as a child I came close to death there on several occasions, most of my recollections of my days spent in healing my body there are good. I am not talking about the hospital of today, but the one of years gone by. The one with its majestic front entrance, its beautiful marble floors, and each room was adorned with a cross. Nurses in starched, white uniforms and a cap were there to attend to you. I am also talking about the hospital where nuns were the norm, an excepted and expected part of the staff who prayed for you. And, you were treated by your family doctor, unless a specialist was needed, who made daily hospital rounds to their respective patients. Much of the old, original physical plant of St. Marys still stands amongst the newer, more modern additions. The grand entrance is still there but is somewhat hidden, tucked away to have made way for the newer construction. But now I hear talk of the whole thing being demolished. They call it progress, but I some times wonder. Another hospital that holds a special place in my heart is the Baptist. The men and women who provided their medical services in that hospital were responsible for bringing me, my brother, and thousands of other babies into the world. My first breath of life was taken inside those walls. But, again, we see progress taking down each wall, a slow but deliberate process. The Baptist Hospital is just a memory now and I dare say the same will hold true for St. Marys in the not so distant future. The same is true with the first school I attended, Skaggston Elementary. And, most of down town Knoxville as I knew it in the 50s and 60s is gone. But, thats progress, or so they say. I just wish those walls could talk before they haul them away. Oh, the stories they could tell. But, heres to progress in all its glory. May it reign for the future. I am just sorry it has to destroy the past in the process!
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 04:19:20 +0000
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