ABSTRACT
Entry to the hospital is an unmistakable signal of human vulnerability to patients and their families. Whether or not crisis seems at hand, they worry over the current difficulty (or at least inconvenience) while focusing on their hopes for a better future. Coping with trouble in this way lifts the burden of personal worry as it maps to progressive ideals in the United States. It is an expectation that adversity will be met with intensity and technological display, anchoring visions of tomorrow’s progress in today’s energy and ingenuity. Waiting through the present uncertainty is nothing compared to the better future waiting just over the horizon, ensured by yesterday’s track record of success.
