Upside Down . .

Question

One more challenge -- just to keep the metaphysical dialogue open:

Plato, I think it was, said that we think and think, trying to understand reality, until at last we reach the peak, only to discover everything we had learned was upside down.  Then we have to start all over and reorder everything we knew.   

In 300 words -- or more if you want  -- in prose or poetry, describe a discovery that everything was actually upside down.  

There is an example on doug's challenge A Work in Progress,  the second response.

Answer 1

 It's a weird format, so I broke it up.

 

THREE (or TEN) HOSPITAL MOMENTS  (Page 1)

1)  I was in Preop. this afternoon waiting for an outpatient procedure.  The I.V. was in.  My gown was gaping in the back, and I had answered the usual string of questions about my health habits and the ones intended to prove that I was who I said I was.

This was the second time they'd grilled me today, so I asked my nurse "Do people actually come in here lying about their identity?  Do people actually steal other people's operations?"

"No." she laughed.  "We have to make extra sure we're operating on the right person and that you weren't issued the wrong I.D. bracelet."  We both laughed for an upside down moment that would have made Norman Rockwell beam.  "That's to protect you against us - not us against you."  And she left.

2)  Now all I had to do was lie there waiting.  In the bed directly opposite of me, there was an old man - also patiently awaiting his turn.  At his bedside sat a young soldier tending to the old one's needs.  It was probably his father or grandfather. There was a sense of urgency.  The young man hadn't had time to change into civilian clothes and he was the only person there for the old one.

As they came and rolled him out to surgery, I noticed another  thing.  The old guy was handcuffed to the bed rail and his ankles were shackeled together in chains.  "OH." I thought in an upsidedown moment that would have sent Norman Mailer scrambling for his lap-top. 

Answer 2

THREE (or TEN) HOSPITAL MOMENTS  (Page 2)

3)  Also, my friend Bob had told me a story of hospital beds.  Bob was a severe bi.polar who took a handful of Lithium and various other drugs daily.  Lately, they'd also put him on antidepressants (more uppers) because he was feeling so low.  His perspective was very different now.

Sitting alone at his kitchen table, he had an epiphony.  "Why don't I do all of my drugs all at once and see what happens?"  He was more than happy to do that, so he did.  Then he skipped gaily downstairs and ran into his friend Julia.  "Guess what, Julia!?  I'm giong to die." he giggled, "I took all of my pills!"

"Why, that's marvelous, Bob."  She said.  "Come and sit with me on the porch.  The view is excellent and I'll make some tea.  You don't mind if I watch, do you?  Good.  Now you sit over here and I'll go start the tea brewing.  I'll be right back."  She called 911 while making the tea and Bob ended up in one of those hospital dorms with 20 beds.

He was slipping in and out of consciousness while they did various procedures on him.  Every time he was awake, he noticed the woman in the bed across from him.  She was about Bob's age.  She looked a bit frail and had strikingly good features.  He liked her.

Sometimes her friends were there - engaging her into lively talking.  Her smile was warm and wise.  One day, Bob asked his doctor "What's she doing in here?  Is she alright?"

"You must mean Miss Kinder."  she said.  "Listen to me very closely, Robert. She asked about you, too.  Miss Kinder also took all of her pills.  You have that in common.  But nobody got to her in time, so they had to amputate both of her arms and one leg due to gangreen.  Now open your mouth.  I have to check for chemical burns."

Upside down.  His mind was racing so fast that he lost consciousness again.  He went back to that dream where the bridges and cities were all reflected in the water, but none could be seen above ground.  He awoke again to a moment that would have sent Norman Bates to Yoga classes.  

Comments

This is so fine I have no words for it -- and at the end you have given me a vision of upside down I have never imagined, using the bridge reflection image.  Much closer to the bone.

 I have my own encounter with depression, but in my case it happened -- and I found my way out -- before I was two years old.  If there is a challenge on depression sometime,  I could try to speak as the two-year-old child of a profoundly depressed mother.

I changed the "300 words" requirement -- in case you prefer to make this into one response.