April 4, 1994
Tuesday evening I was nice enough to accompany my husband to a Catholic Physicians meeting at St. Vincent’s Hospital near downtown L.A. St. Vincent’s Hospital is located on Alvarado between 3rd and Beverly Blvds. Because of the 5:30 p.m. rush hour freeway traffic, we decided to take the surface streets. Very interesting! The neighborhood is now very old and rundown. Security guards were present at the entrance and exit from the underground parking garage. A security guard escorted us to the entrance of the main building where the meeting was held. Afterwards we were accompanied back to our car and given explicit directions regarding right and left turns to get on proper freeways. In other words, don’t drive around the neighborhood after DARK!
How areas do change. At one time this was a safe and very nice neighborhood. My first and third daughters were born at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Kathy in the old building and Eileen in the new Hospital in 1954. Was it really 40 years ago since I had been inside St. Vincent’s Hospital?
Oh! let me remember to tell you about this meeting I was coerced into attending. The speaker was a Catholic Cardinal from Italy. He did not speak English very well so he read his short speech in English. He asked some of the physicians (professori) to help translate the question and answer period. It was a very serious and difficult subject, so many questions were asked, translated, answered, translated and on and on. Many hot Italian temperaments surfaced. Mike kept trying to translate for me. He really enjoyed the evening. I would have preferred a written translation as in foreign films or the Opera. How does the U.N. accomplish anything?
Elaine's Memoirs 