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>> Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. >> One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help >>drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room only window. >>The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. >>The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, >>their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military >>service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when >>the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by >>describing to his roommate all the things he could see from >>his bed. His roommate began to live for those one-hour periods where his >>world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the >>world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and >>swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young >>lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. >>Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of beautiful gardens >>that stretched out everywhere the eye could see. So the man by the window >>described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the >>room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm >>afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. >>Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in >>his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with >>descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. >>One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths >>only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died >>peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital >>attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, >>the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. >>The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was >>comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped >>himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. >>Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained >>to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank >>wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased >>roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The >>nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She >>said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you >> > -- Ars Longa - Vita Brevis Art is Long - Life is short :(:) )