Total recall … or not.

In July of 1959 my first child was born at Lenox Hill Hospital in NY City. It was an easy birth but I was still pretty uncomfortable for hours after the birth. My roommate was a lovely woman who was expecting her third child and she could empathize with me. She was also looking forward to seeing the Catholic priest who made daily visits. 

In the meantime I figured that I would feel much better if I could lie on my stomach so I scrunched up my legs and tried to turn over. It was much harder than I thought it would be but I finally managed to get half-way there. I had just about made it when the door opened and there was the priest ! By this time the sheets that had covered me had fallen to the floor, my “open down the back” pajamas did just that and my exposed and starkly bare bum was all he could see of me !! He graciously backed out and didn't come back.

In July of 1960 my 2^nd child was born at Lenox Hill. I had completely forgotten about that embarrassing experience until a strange thing happened. This time I was in a private room and when the door opened I saw that it was the same priest from the year before. I explained that I was not Catholic but would welcome a visit and as we chatted it came out that I was there a year before. “Aha…” he said, “I thought you looked familiar. I never forget a ……………...face.”