Mausoleum

A black and white image of a weathered stone wall featuring a textured door-like structure with abstract designs etched onto it.

Hospital Room

A hospital room with a patient bed that has a white pillow and various medical equipment. The bedside table is cluttered with food containers, cups, and medical supplies.

It’s been a tough week, especially for Nicole. She underwent spine decompression surgery Wednesday. Surgery went well, but unfortunately she was experiencing very low blood pressure after her procedure. It took 4 days to get it under control where she safely could be released from the hospital to go home. Needless to say, New York Presbyterian Hospital was great. The care they gave her was first rate. Now she is on her way to recovery. It’ll be weeks before she can return to pre-surgical level of activity.

So happy she is home!

“Jimbo”

A person with an intricate, artistic hairstyle resembling twisted branches, wearing large sunglasses and a scarf, seated in a subway train.

I was on the 1 train going uptown to see Nicole in the hospital. As I sat down, I saw this gentleman sitting across from me. A stop or two passed before I asked him if I could take his picture. He smiled and replied, “Yes.”

I asked him his name and about his headdress. He told me his name was “Jimbo”, and that he made and wore the headdress to make himself happy. I didn’t ask him about the tinfoil on his teeth. (Ouch!) He told me he was homeless, but worked a lot of part time jobs. He was between them now. He mentioned that he was sleeping in a subway station, but had to move as they were cleaning the platform.

My stop arrived and I wished him well. I gave him a few dollars and thanked him for letting me take his portrait.