He was one of my first patients, in my first week on the job at the Veterans” Medical Center, in a small North Carolina town, in June 2003. We’d just moved here from New York City and my accent was still pretty strong. “Come again?” was one of the expressions I’d become accustomed to hearing often.
The patient had his own thick Southern accent, making me strain to understand him. This 58-year-old veteran had seen many tough times. Clearly, his low back pain was only part of the total pain of his existence. He now lived all by his lonesome in a trailer with no TV or radio or CD player. He needed some inexpensive home entertainment.
“Have you thought about visiting a pawn shop?” I suggested.
The man's dull demeanour turned sharp and some crimson flushed his cheeks.
“Well, I'd be too embarrassed,” he said, but I could tell he liked the idea.
Encouraging him, I noted, “I've been to many pawn shops in my life. I was a bit embarrassed to be seen going into one the first time, but then I got over it. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about.”
A bit of a gleam shot into the melancholic eyes. “You are a real respectable looking lady. If you can do it, I guess I should be able to. But I imagine where you went in N.Y.C. no one knew you.”
"That's true” I replied. “However, I would have no embarrassment going to a pawn shop here in Salisbury.”
“Of course,” he said, “you don't know anybody here yet, so there’s no one to catch you doing it.”
I contemplated that thought. “I do know some people now, and I wouldn’t mind them seeing me enter a pawn shop.”
“It sure would perk me up,” the fellow said, warming to the idea. “Do you think the V.A. would pay for it?” I doubted that, and he said he doubted it too, he just had to ask.
“I can afford to buy new things, but I still like going to second hand stores,” I told him.
“There’s no reason to be embarrassed about being careful with your money.”
“Oh, Law,” said the patient. “I couldn’t see buying one of them things used!”
“Why wouldn't you want to buy a T.V. used?” I asked.
“T.V.? You mean to play adult videos?” he answered in an uncertain way.
It then dawned on me – this patient heard my Brooklyn accented “pawn” as “porn.” I explained the misunderstanding. Three seconds later, the front desk person came bursting into the exam room to see what the loud screaming was about; she was shocked to see us both doubled over in laughter, tears streaming down our faces.
Standing up and wiping his eyes, the patient said, “This is the best damn visit to the V.A. I ever had.”
The patient had his own thick Southern accent, making me strain to understand him. This 58-year-old veteran had seen many tough times. Clearly, his low back pain was only part of the total pain of his existence. He now lived all by his lonesome in a trailer with no TV or radio or CD player. He needed some inexpensive home entertainment.
“Have you thought about visiting a pawn shop?” I suggested.
The man's dull demeanour turned sharp and some crimson flushed his cheeks.
“Well, I'd be too embarrassed,” he said, but I could tell he liked the idea.
Encouraging him, I noted, “I've been to many pawn shops in my life. I was a bit embarrassed to be seen going into one the first time, but then I got over it. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about.”
A bit of a gleam shot into the melancholic eyes. “You are a real respectable looking lady. If you can do it, I guess I should be able to. But I imagine where you went in N.Y.C. no one knew you.”
"That's true” I replied. “However, I would have no embarrassment going to a pawn shop here in Salisbury.”
“Of course,” he said, “you don't know anybody here yet, so there’s no one to catch you doing it.”
I contemplated that thought. “I do know some people now, and I wouldn’t mind them seeing me enter a pawn shop.”
“It sure would perk me up,” the fellow said, warming to the idea. “Do you think the V.A. would pay for it?” I doubted that, and he said he doubted it too, he just had to ask.
“I can afford to buy new things, but I still like going to second hand stores,” I told him.
“There’s no reason to be embarrassed about being careful with your money.”
“Oh, Law,” said the patient. “I couldn’t see buying one of them things used!”
“Why wouldn't you want to buy a T.V. used?” I asked.
“T.V.? You mean to play adult videos?” he answered in an uncertain way.
It then dawned on me – this patient heard my Brooklyn accented “pawn” as “porn.” I explained the misunderstanding. Three seconds later, the front desk person came bursting into the exam room to see what the loud screaming was about; she was shocked to see us both doubled over in laughter, tears streaming down our faces.
Standing up and wiping his eyes, the patient said, “This is the best damn visit to the V.A. I ever had.”