My Day In Hospital...

H

Hippie Dribble

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hey gang, had to go in today for day surgery and I was full of fear and foreboding etc. Anyway, turns out things aren't as bad as I'd anticipated, but that's not the story.

I took in a bag full of the usual stuff: insulin, books, comics, notepaper, diary, testing gear etc etc AND my little sky-blue mahalo soprano...

After I came out of surgery and was coming round I thought what the heck and got her out. Started strumming a few old tunes, some bluegrassy-folk instrumentals and jazzy standards.

During the 30 minutes or so I was playing, literally every nurse on deck smiled at me as they walked by, also the two aneasthetists that were working, the surgeon and the catering staff. Two nurses came in and sat down for a few minutes...they were loving it!!! Turns out one was a uker herself. My own nurse called me Mr Ukulele for the rest of the day. :p When the catering lady came in with a sandwich she said, "we can hear you right down the hall, it's just lovely. We don't often get live music in here!" Then the surgeon came in for a chat and we talked more about uke than my health! Seems he is a frustrated guitarist who had often thought about buying a uke...well, after our chat he said he was gonna go buy one that night. :)

As for the patients..I was in a little room between the pre-op and post op "lounge" and as I left, the folks in each room said how much they'd enjoyed the music and how it had helped them to relax. :)


Aaaah, the sweet power of the diminutive uke to bring joy to people keeps on amazing me. This is the first time I'd ever done something bold like that. So, I just want to encourage y'all, don't ever hesitate getting your uke out in public, it may just bring about unexpected surprises and happiness. :shaka:
 
Good job Eugene. Bringing happiness to people that are having a difficult go. I hope you are doing well. Keep spreading the love Mr Ukulele
 
That's awesome man. Spreading that uke cheer!
 
thanks for reading guys. thing is, it was such a simple little thing. I guess the music was just something a bit different for these guys and took their thoughts somewhere more pleasant for awhile. I'm a really shy person and normally way too scared to do anything like that, but just shows the power of music, and the uke especially! Sure, hospitals aren't always the most fun places, but it makes me wonder in what other situations this could be done.
 
Well done, Jon! I worked in a major Sydney hospital for 8 years & it was a dreary place, at best! Your uke music would have been a complete surprise to everyone - a very pleasant surprise!

Looks like you recovered well quickly from your day surgery!

YOU!! SHY??? Isn't it funny how others perceive us?? I would NEVER peg YOU as being shy!!
 
thanks Roberta, yes, recovered quickly. one more small procedure next Wed, then some medication adjustments I'm told and hopefully an improved health year in 2013. As to the shyness, yep, it's easy to record a video clip cause you're in isolation, but I've suffered from it much of my life. I kinda have a split personality thing going on, the dominant part of me is very shy, a hermit and avoids social situations, but then, put me in front of a bunch of kids or on a stage with a mic and I get all extroverted and turn into an entertainer. I'm a bit weird... :uhoh:

the strange thing about today was, I wasn't really expecting any reaction at all. But to see the uke music so affect the folks in the hospital in the way it did was such an encouraging thing and really made me reflect on the very little things we can do to positively impact on people. I feel I am a bit insular at times and it was a real wake-up to see the good that can flow on when you let go of your self-focus and self-consciousness.
 
I feel like if I did this everyone in the hospital would tell me to quiet down haha. Just my luck.
 
Jon, this is the true embodiment of one of my favorite music quotes, by one of my favorite musicians. Way to go!

"The magic in music happens only when the artist serves it with love and joy and the listener receives it with the same spirit."
Ravi Shankar
 
Raygf said:
Jon, this is the true embodiment of one of my favorite music quotes, by one of my favorite musicians. Way to go!

"The magic in music happens only when the artist serves it with love and joy and the listener receives it with the same spirit."
Ravi Shankar
Click to expand...
that's a beautiful one Ray, thanks mate. no doubting the old truism that music reaches into places where words often can't.
 
Kyle23 said:
I feel like if I did this everyone in the hospital would tell me to quiet down haha. Just my luck.
Click to expand...

ha ha!! Exactly Kyle...they should consider themselves fortunate...coulda been bagpipes. :p
 
I often whack my uke out in public, I'm not even that good, but even a few simple strums can brighten someones day!
That Ravi quote is great, I totally agree with it, fretting and strumming is only 50% of playing ukulele (or sitar as the case may be).
Congrats on your speedy recovery, maybe you will take your uke to more public places now! Although I wouldn't recommend Tesco's property, as all musicians are buskers in their eyes! :p
 
This is why you're my hero, Jon. When I came to after a colonoscopy a few years ago (I know, TMI), all I could do was babble (although it didn't sound like babbling to me at the time). When I got home, I tried to play my Kala solid mahogany concert and dropped it, resulting in a chip that took $90 US to repair.

I'm glad to hear that your current treatment gives you a shot at better health. You certainly deserve it! And I can relate to what you said about the split personality thing. I'm as shy as they come and get really scared about playing alone, even informally for friends, but I've performed publicly at a number of festivals with my ukulele classes. I'm getting there on the solo stuff. Confidence is a big help and as my playing improves, so does my willingness to play publicly. I'm still scared bleep-less about recording, though, which is partly why I haven't participated in the seasons yet, wven though I've prepared for a few of them.

As for entertainng in hospitals, they have to be some of the scariest places on earth, and I know it's gotta help people there to hear music. I'm trying to get my Sunday meetup group (which plays pop music) to get volunteer gigs at hospitals and rehab centers, but it's tough finding the right people to talk to. I sure hope we do it some day. I can't think of anything more rewarding.

Godspeed and heal quickly!

Mark
 
I'm glad to read your surgery went well -- and it's great that you got some ukulele in! I bet the staff and other patients will be talking about it for days to come.
 
I'm glad you're on the mend, Jon. It sounds like your uke strumming experience wasn't just therapeutic for the others in the hospital.:)
 
Great story Jon. Hope you are soon on the road to complete recovery. I've had my own little health scare recently and know the anxiety that it can cause. All the best from Catalonia - Berni :cool:
 
awesome story... what blend of tunes did you play? hope you didn't play St. James Infirmary ;) did you sing ? Your singing voice and enthusiasm are always a delight... thanks for sharing..
 
I'll bet they wish they could prescribe a little Eugene for all their patients each day - I'm sure it brightened everyone's day a bit.... even just telling us about it has made mine a little better. Glad to hear the positive health news - keep on keepin on, man.....
 
eugene ukulele said:
hey gang, had to go in today for day surgery and I was full of fear and foreboding etc. Anyway, turns out things aren't as bad as I'd anticipated, but that's not the story.

I took in a bag full of the usual stuff: insulin, books, comics, notepaper, diary, testing gear etc etc AND my little sky-blue mahalo soprano...

After I came out of surgery and was coming round I thought what the heck and got her out. Started strumming a few old tunes, some bluegrassy-folk instrumentals and jazzy standards.

During the 30 minutes or so I was playing, literally every nurse on deck smiled at me as they walked by, also the two aneasthetists that were working, the surgeon and the catering staff. Two nurses came in and sat down for a few minutes...they were loving it!!! Turns out one was a uker herself. My own nurse called me Mr Ukulele for the rest of the day. :p When the catering lady came in with a sandwich she said, "we can hear you right down the hall, it's just lovely. We don't often get live music in here!" Then the surgeon came in for a chat and we talked more about uke than my health! Seems he is a frustrated guitarist who had often thought about buying a uke...well, after our chat he said he was gonna go buy one that night. :)

As for the patients..I was in a little room between the pre-op and post op "lounge" and as I left, the folks in each room said how much they'd enjoyed the music and how it had helped them to relax. :)


Aaaah, the sweet power of the diminutive uke to bring joy to people keeps on amazing me. This is the first time I'd ever done something bold like that. So, I just want to encourage y'all, don't ever hesitate getting your uke out in public, it may just bring about unexpected surprises and happiness. :shaka:
Click to expand...

Very nice Jon...Glad you're okay buddy...!!!
 
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