So last night I got to follow a fellow-shaplain around the hospital to see what he does of an evening. So far, it seems like what we do is walk! Walk walk walk! The hospital is spread out over several buildings, and so there is a great distance to be covered if one is called to the Neurology building from the CPE office.

As it turns out, last night the two most important things going on were happening in the same room. Two hispanic males with very large families were being taken off life support, and it wasn't until they were moved from the one room into separate rooms that anyone outside the families could keep them all straight.

This was my first look into hospital life, inasmuch as one sees great sadness. The families were very, very distraught, and to see such pain is to know that there is nothing anyone can do. As the chaplains, there was even less we could do, since the families were really large enough to take care of themselves. So, we just stayed around, being available.

So, there's nothing for it but to head on in. I'll probably have my first on-call this week, which means staying at the hospital from 4:45pm to 7:45am. More details on that when it happens.

Today, however, I'm going into town to do some sightseeing. I think I'll hit up the Philadelphia Museum of Art since it's supposed to rain.