Happy Fourth of July!

Fourth of July, just another day on the calendar over here. I showed up to the morning hand-over meeting where the staff gave a progress report on patients on the ward, sat in on ward rounds where patients were interviewed and their mental states assessed, and followed the psychiatrist on duty to outpatient clinic. During the consult with a patient with psychotic depression, the psychiatrist observed,

Oh, it's Independence Day.

Patient (in a flat monotone):
What's that?

Me (helpfully):
It was on this day in 1776 when the people living in America decided to become their own country; they didn't want to be British anymore. America used to be a British colony like Australia was.

Patient (realizing Fourth of July had nothing to do with him):

Oh.
(silence)
I still hear voices and I can't get them to stop.

And that was the only time Fourth of July was ever mentioned the whole day.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

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Tonight's dinner: lamb and spinach lasagna