mental hospital

jingle and i liked to go biking around town. we were both in 5th grade then. i was 10, she was 11. we only had one bike. we just alternated between pedaling and being the passenger. one day we decided to bike through the mental hospital. we've seen the "mental" patients wandering about town. there were always "alerts" when one of them escapes. we were curious to see what's inside the hospital compound. we've heard that at least one movie was filmed inside there, showcasing some historic ruins.

i don't remember being stopped by the guards. i guess everyone is free to visit as they please. the grounds were well-maintained. there were lots of trees and flowers. the rooms that we saw looked like jail cells. there were naked patients holding on to the bars. some of the female patients even got pregnant while there. we were horrified. we got out of there as soon as we can.

the psychiatric hospitals here are way different. for the most part, the patients are treated very well. the staff act more like parents. i'm still trying to figure out my style. i don't want to come across as a parental figure. clearly, i can't be the baby, either. i try to be a friend but that's hard sometimes especially if they act up. so, i try to be the detached caring professional. i try to make sure that all their medical needs are met. i try to make sure that i know their individual story. everyday, i try to be a little less afraid. most of them will not be "healed". but just to be a part of the process that helps them to be a little more functional is enough for me to be excited to come back each day.