Short Story

Tomorrow Never Knows

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See #303.
Some of you have read this, originally written
several years ago as I recounted a true story
about events experienced by me in the hospital
after surgery. The hallucinations were
very real and I remember every detail.

Image Credit; Ben Wicks @ Unsplash

“Use the call button on the side panel of your bed if you need a nurse. My shift is almost over. Can I get you anything before I leave, hon?”

It took me a few seconds to remember where I was as I stared at the friendly face of the nurse standing over me.

“Pain meds would be lovely” I answered, grimacing.

“You’re hooked up to a morphine drip; you should begin to feel much more comfortable very soon. Until then, try to get some rest” the nurse suggested.

I had been in an accident the day before, falling off a four-foot-high deck and landing on my left side with tremendous impact. My hip was shattered and I needed a total hip replacement.

I’m a firm believer that copious amounts of pain medication should be dispensed frequently to patients in need. I smiled wanly at the nurse and asked for my iPhone; while I waited for the morphine to take me to another dimension, I would lose myself in my playlist.

If you’re sick or injured, a hospital is the last place you want to be. Trying to rest is next to impossible. Patients pleading, buzzers buzzing, machines murmuring, carts careening, elevators elevating, doctors discussing, nurses needling. Even the mourning doves keeping watch on my windowsill cooed ceaselessly.

I slipped in my earbuds and cued up The Beatles “Helter Skelter“. No matter how horrendous I may be feeling at any given moment, listening to that masterpiece makes life perfect for 4 minutes and 29 seconds.

Someone wheels in my dinner cart. Lifting the lid I see green beans, a pale piece of chicken, a beverage and a mini container of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Not hungry just yet, I go through my collection of albums trying to decide which one to play. Ah, “Revolver”. You can never go wrong with that beauty. I close my eyes and revel in the brilliance of “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

I’m suddenly aware of a rush of air and find I am now outside floating uptown over the streets of Manhattan, my hospital gown flapping like laundry on the line. I hear the old Klaxon car horn sound of “AHOOGA!” behind me and swivel round to see a flying ice cream truck being driven by none other than John Lennon. Somehow, as bizarre as it all is, it seems perfectly normal.

“You getting in? We don’t want to be late” John says.

“Late for what?” I ask.

“For whatever comes next” John replies with a grin. I slide onto the seat beside him and we zoom off.

“AHOOGA!!“

“What’s on your bucket list, me darlin’?” John asks me and I answer without hesitation “To go to Liverpool!”

“Ah, lovely Liverpool. I won’t be going back there again, I’m afraid. Next stop: The Dakota!” John calls out and we swoosh away in the direction of W 72nd Street.

“No, John. You mustn’t!” I beg him and I start to cry.

“Oh, but I must! Now dry your eyes. It’s my destiny and we can’t change that.“

He’s silent for a moment, deep in thought, then he speaks very quietly to me: “Nancy girl, listen to what I’m going to say: Love with your whole heart. Be the best person you can be and never ever forget to have fun. Time is fleeting and tomorrow never knows so always eat dessert first. Got it? Good! Now, let’s be on our way.”

As I nod in agreement I can hear the faint words “Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.”

And in a flash John and his flying ice cream truck are gone.

I open my eyes and gingerly prop myself up on my hospital bed pillow. Dinner is still there, right where I left it, and I find I’m suddenly starving. Ignoring everything else on my tray, I go directly to the Ben & Jerry’s, pop the lid and dig in.

And in that moment I realize nothing in my life ever tasted so delicious.

NAR©2018, 2025
#WDYS

This is “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles

What do you see # 303- August 25,2025

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

53 thoughts on “Tomorrow Never Knows”

  1. Pingback: WDYS # 303- A roundup post – Keep it alive

  4. So awful, I can understand your feelings, when you say.. If you’re sick or injured, a hospital is the last place you want to be. But the irony is that you have to be there. My love and blessings to you, Nancy. Stay blessed always 🙏💐💗

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  5. Well Nancy what an amazing trip that way.

    I tripped out while I was on Morphine after breaking my back.. the second time. It was very scary …the boys still talk about it. I remember it too! It was not funny but we do laugh about it now! 💜💜💜

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    1. It probably happens a lot more than people remember or care to talk about. I’m very susceptible to the side effects of drugs and they take a long time to be totally out of my system. It’s not all fun & games! Thanks, Willow.

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  6. What an experience! I’m sorry about your hip, though. I can just picture John Lennon in that flying ice cream truck, dispensing his excellent advice. And the song is perfect, as usual. Your mention of the Dakota brought a tear, remembering John’s tragic end.

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    1. Debbie, the Dakota was one of the parts of this hallucination that made it so incredibly real. It wasn’t just a fun little trippy incident. I’m so glad my husband was there and saw that I was totally awake while this was happening. That was 17 years ago; fortunately, my surgery was successful and recuperation was easy. And I have these amazing memories to share. Thanks for leaving such a great comment!

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    1. It’s a good thing my husband was there to witness me experiencing these incredible hallucinations or they may have been chalked up to just a dream. I was definitely awake and can still remember seeing a flying ice cream truck outside my NYC hospital room window. It was pretty wild, Christian, but I’m so glad I can share the story. And you know what? No one has ever doubted my word. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it.

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  8. Tomorrow Never Knows was the perfect song to deal with that. John Lennon driving a flying ice cream truck…that could have been in a Beatles song.
    Wonderful hallucination to have…if I was going to have a hallucination…thats the one I want!

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  9. Oh, I love it so much! Your ’trip’ with Lennon, how fantastic, and you were in an ice cream truck of all things. Did you see Lucy up there somewhere?
    What an amazing story, Nancy. You had some cool drugs. ☮️ ✌️ ❤️

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    1. Hahaha! If only the circumstances were different! Being trippy in a hospital isn’t all it’s cracked up to be lol 😆. It was some experience, Christine, and it been with me for 17 years. I am very pleased to know you had fun reading my story! Thank you so much!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jim! Whether a dream or a hallucination, it was very real to me and has stayed with me for 17 years, unchanged, exactly as it happened that day. I had some other hallucinations while in the hospital which were not very pleasant; you can read about them in my comment to Clive.
      Helter Skelter is such a kick ass piece of music and in my opinion, the precursor to all hard rock and heavy metal songs. It still bothers me that people continue to associate the song with Charles Manson. His twisted mind took this song about an amusement park ride and turned it into something perverse and depraved.
      Thanks for your great comments, Jim. I appreciate them and you.

      PS – I just realized that tomorrow’s SLS may very well include Tomorrow Never Knows! We’ll see …. one never knows!

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  13. You’re right about not wanting to be in hospital when you’re sick or injured. These days, you come out with some bug and bring it home.
    Interesting post Nancy and glad you’re OK. Good advice too………. that’s why I loved Sundays as a child as we always had dessert first for tea!

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    1. Penn, I’m so glad to know this brought back some happy memories for you! It certainly was a memorable experience and every word is true. Nobody likes having to go to the hospital, but I guess we should be thankful that they are there when we need them. Thank you, my dear Penn.

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    1. So great to see you fully comprehend where I’m coming from! None of this is fabricated; it’s exactly as it happened that day. As soon as I could, I wrote every detail down. This was 17 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. Ha! Yesterday! Thank you, my dear friend.

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  15. I didn’t see this when it was originally posted, but I’m glad I got here today. This is such an interesting story, Nancy. You portray John in your vision as I would expect him to be. I’m sorry for what happened to you, but I’m glad you were able to share this.

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    1. Thanks very much, Dan. The day this happened, I was convinced it was real. I can still remember looking out the window of my hospital room and seeing that flying ice cream truck. I remember thinking “ok, this isn’t happening”. It’s interesting how one part of me was rational, but another was tripping out … and I knew that. As soon as I could put pen to paper, I wrote it all down and every word you see here is exactly how it happened.
      Thanks for your good wishes; falling off that deck was surreal. I felt no pain at all until the paramedics tried to move me. That’s when I blacked out and woke up in the ambulance. Happily, surgery was a complete success and 17 years later, I’m fine with just the tiniest scar to remind me.
      I’m so glad you enjoyed my story, Dan; I appreciate all your kind comments. Thank you!

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  16. 🎶 turn off your mind relax, float downstream, it is not dying it is not dying! 🎶…Ah Nancy, …as Sadje said,, a lovely sincere message, … and a fantastic share this Saturday morning, … have a great, non-morphine, day, … I’d have loved to have met John Lennon, …💙

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    1. I will never forget that hospital stay! I also had hallucinations of a different kind which I never wrote about because they weren’t very pleasant. I saw bugs marching in single file up and down the footboard of my bed and I lay there unable to move, terrified that they were going to crawl all over me. When Bill came in the room, I told him about the bugs and he assured me there weren’t any, explaining it was just the morphine playing tricks on me. He even ran his hand up and down the footboard to prove it, but at night after he went home, I saw them again.

      Thanks for the video, Clive. It was very well done and I enjoyed it a lot.😊

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      1. That sounds really awful. Hopefully an experience never to be repeated!

        I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Moonshee were short lived, just one album before they went their separate ways, but it was very good. And two of the most gorgeous singers ever!

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