We were at the physician’s office
for something I, as an adolescent,

don’t remember but was about me.
The physician, new to us and not

our primary before the word
primary was used, spoke in poly-

syllabic words to describe my
condition, which neither my

father nor I understood. The
physician more than seemed

satisfied with his considerable
acumen not to mention his

academic credentials. That
would be the last time we visit-

ed that physician. On the way
to the car, my father said that

the best communication is the
most understandable commun-

ication. Keep it simple, son. That
physician wanted to impress us

with his knowledge, apparently,
more than he wanted my healing.

His need to impress, perhaps only
himself, only served to drive us

away from the healer he, osten-
sibly,  was supposed to be.