Mr. Hammond’s Blog – In the Clinic
My office is next to Nurse Wohner’s clinic, so I get to see a fairly steady stream of children who make their way to see her. Besides being a professional of exceptional competence, Karen is kid magnet. They flock to her. She treats their hurts and scrapes, takes their temperature, gives them ginger ale for upset stomachs, and in her wonderful tone, reassures them, that: “Every little thing’s gonna be alright.” It’s priceless to watch.
The transition to school always brings a few challenges…new routines, getting up earlier, new studies and relationships. In the first few weeks of school, Nurse Wohner sees a goodly share of youngsters who just need a little reassurance more than anything else. She is just the right medicine.
Often, in passing through the clinic, I’ll enjoy the opportunity of chatting with a student and join Nurse Wohner in providing a soothing word or two. In one instance recently, it didn’t take much encouragement for a student to provide me with an amazing amount of his genealogy. He is mid grammar school and he could trace back to his great, great grandparents! One grandparent hailed from Nicaragua to which I replied, “All the way down to South America, hey, little man?”
Very thoughtfully he replied, “Well, actually Mr. Hammond, Nicaragua is in Central America. You know … that strip of land between North America and South America?”
Out of the mouth of babes.
