Two men, both aged and seriously ill, occupied the same hospital
room. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives
and families, their homes, their old jobs, their experiences in World
War II, and all kinds of other things.

One man managed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon
where he could look out the room's only window, and every time he
did, he would describe to his roommate all the things he could see.
He told of a park with a lovely lake. Ducks swam on the water while
children sailed their model boats. Grand old trees graced the
landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the
distance. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a
parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band,
he could imagine it as the man by the window described it.

Finally, after many weeks, the man by the window died. The other
man asked the nurse to be moved next to the window so he could
see the view. The nurse was happy to make the switch, but when he
was finally able to look out the window, he found that it faced the
blank, brick wall of the building across the street!