Andrew J. Lederer

i'm sitting here on the couch in the lobby of the gym. (cranky guy and i seem to be understanding each other better these days, plus he's not here.)

tall, shaved-headed guy, maybe 40-something, sees me and says, "mr. laptop. whatcha doing?"

"online exercise," says i.

"brain is the biggest muscle in the body," says he.

"and what," i ask him, "is the biggest muscle in the brain?"

well, when i heard him answer, "the oobla gabla," with a smile, i was impressed, as i'd thought the musclehead might not realize there are no muscles in the brain.

"how'dja know that?" i joked.

"i'm a trained paramedic, " he answered. followed by, "i don't practice but i am trained," or some similar bit of credential-pushing that made it clear he was serious.

and suddenly i realized --

he had said, the medulla oblongata was the biggest muscle in the brain.

and he meant it.

a trained paramedic. (i am frightened for my life.)

nice guy, though.