mr presentation

in grad school, I had a diagnostics professor who would often surprise us by showing up impersonating a mental health client.  he'd come dressed as a hallucinating bus driver or a wigged, post traumatic rape victim.  as students, we'd have to interview the 'client' and write up a psychosocial assessment.  however, there was always one portion of the write up (for that class and in actual clinical practice as well) that was intensely difficult for me- the somewhat elusive portion referred to as 'presentation'.  presentation was essentially a concise description of identifying information, such as: what he was wearing, tone of speech, manner of relating, gait, motor reflexes, etc.  and, if I practiced today, I'm sure it'd continue to be an area of great difficulty.

in contrast, jack would ace the presentation portion.  numerous times I've sat in awe as he patiently but efficiently describes what to him is unnamed or unknown with such amazing precision. i.e. the time he didn't know what a ponytail rubberband was called so he described the way it made my hair look.  and just seconds ago, he was out of bed saying 'one side of his nose isn't working' because he lacks the vernacular for congestion.  with a recent discussion about moles and their increasing presence as one ages, he quickly quipped, 'then aunt sarah must be really old because she has little ones (freckles) all over her face!'          

just look at his (and super sleuthing friend's) eye for detail...