Camera: Leica M9
Exposure: 1/90
Aperture: f/2.4
Focal Length: 35mm
ISO: 800
It’s funny… I’ve been in a weird headspace in lots of areas of my life for a little while now. But walking through the old University of Utah hospital as they are clearing rooms out prior to tearing it down brings back a ton of memories. While I grew up in Texas, we did live in Utah for a couple of years from 1971-1975, and I very much remember this building, the elevators, the shapes, the smells, from when I was a kid. Fast forward a bunch of years, we moved back to Utah and in 1990, my first job outside hobby shops, restaurants and mechanics garages was in this building working for the sleep lab and neurodiagnostics right up on the 3rd floor. So, there are a ton of memories in this building. The first job I cut my hair for (used to be long, down to my butt). The first time I did CPR (broke ribs and freaked me out). The first operation I was involved in (trauma, and the smell of blood still has not left my head). The anesthesia study I volunteered for as an undergraduate to make money (would never do that again). The friends and colleagues that I worked with (amazing people I will always be grateful for). Realizing I *was* smart enough for a career in science while troubleshooting complex patient presentations in folks with epilepsy (dyslexia and poor self esteem hit me hard when I was younger). Studying late nights with friends in the neurology library (it was quiet). Setting up my first research study (impact of stroke on sleep disordered breathing), and learning how to navigate university IRBs.
I’ve been working in or adjacent to this building for over 33 years now, and it is weird to think of this building as going away. But, as the Pete Seeger song title says, “To Everything There Is a Season”.