Jay wanted to go to Philadelphia to see a movie about the noir writer Davis Goodis
http://www.allanguthrie.co.uk/pages/noir_zine/articles/hardboiled_philadelpiha.ph He had been interviewed for this and of course wanted to see himself. I was also curious and decided to go along. It was a documentary that was interesting with lots of interviews and a review of the writer's life. Since it was only Friday and there was plenty of time we decided to take a ride the next day and drive around and do some sightseeing in the Lancaster area. We ended up in a town called Intercourse with a large concentration of Amish people. It was a great day, cold all right, but not too icy. I looked around in a handsome quilt shop with the most colorful quilts, and sure enough I ended up with a quilted jacket! Afterwards we took a horse driven buggy ride through the countryside, looking at the huge barns with their spotless windows, the white farm houses, now at night time all dark and without a light peaking out from inside. The driver was extremely talkative; he told us that of course the Amish don’t have telephones, but if they need a telephone they will send somebody to call for them. Of course they don't use electricity but they milk their cows somehow with the help of a Diesel motor. And we heard the summing of the Diesels all around us. Or he showed us the one-room school houses with their green shutters for approximately 30 children (they only attend school up to 8
th grade.) Plenty of information was squeezed out of him about customs and habits. He grew up Amish, but married a non-Amish women whom he divorced later. And of course he was informed that this happened only because he had stepped out of the Amish circle.
Anyway, it was a good day again and so we decided to have dinner in one of these roadside restaurants offering Mennonite and Amish cooking. Since there was a bit waiting for a table involved we went upstairs to look at the books in the gift shop. Reading about Amish customs I suddenly realized that my sight was sort of "cloudy" . I did not pay attention to it, but later on when we sat at our table to start our dinner I covered my left eye and realized that I could see Jay only as a shadow and with a halo around it. A few minutes later I realized it was completely dark, no vision at all. That's how it was, 1-2-3 and my eye sight on the left eye was gone. Jay had to drive all the way home and suggested that we go to a hospital. I hesitated, but when we finally reached home Stefan also strongly suggested to go to Englewood Hospital. All sorts of doctors poked around, tests were done, an ophtalmologist came around 2:00 AM. Enough. I stayed in the hospital until Tuesday and now I have only one eye with vision! Altogether I was lucky, it could have been much worse. I can drive (carefully) and fortunately don't look different from before! That counts also. But the fact remains, I am blind on one eye from now on.
Anyway, it was a good day again and so we decided to have dinner in one of these roadside restaurants offering Mennonite and Amish cooking. Since there was a bit waiting for a table involved we went upstairs to look at the books in the gift shop. Reading about Amish customs I suddenly realized that my sight was sort of "cloudy" . I did not pay attention to it, but later on when we sat at our table to start our dinner I covered my left eye and realized that I could see Jay only as a shadow and with a halo around it. A few minutes later I realized it was completely dark, no vision at all. That's how it was, 1-2-3 and my eye sight on the left eye was gone. Jay had to drive all the way home and suggested that we go to a hospital. I hesitated, but when we finally reached home Stefan also strongly suggested to go to Englewood Hospital. All sorts of doctors poked around, tests were done, an ophtalmologist came around 2:00 AM. Enough. I stayed in the hospital until Tuesday and now I have only one eye with vision! Altogether I was lucky, it could have been much worse. I can drive (carefully) and fortunately don't look different from before! That counts also. But the fact remains, I am blind on one eye from now on.
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