Ibelievelisteningispowerfulmedicine.Studieshaveshownittakesa___36___about18secondstointerruptapatientafterhebeginstalking.

ItwasaSunday.Ihadonelastpatienttosee.I___37___herroominahurryandstoodatthedoorway.Shewasanoldwoman,sittingattheedgeofthebed,___38___toputsocksonherswollen（肿胀）feet.Icrossedthethreshold（门槛）,spokequicklytothenurse,andscannedherchartnotingshewasinstablecondition.Iwasalmostintheclear.

I___39___onthebedrail（床的栏杆）lookingdownather.SheaskedifIcouldhelpputonhersocks.Instead,Ilaunchedintoamonologue（独白）thatwent___40___likethis,“Howareyoufeeling?Yoursugarsandbloodpressurewerehigh___41___they’rebettertoday.Thenursementionedyou’re___42___toseeyoursonwho’svisitingyoutoday.It’snicetohavefamilyvisitfromfaraway.Ibetyoureallylookforwardtoseeinghim.”

She___43___mewithaserious,authoritativevoice.“Sitdown,doctor.Thisismystory,notyourstory.”

Iwassurprisedandembarrassed.Isatdown.Ihelpedherwiththesocks.Shebegantotellmethatheronlysonlived___44___fromher,butshehadnotseenhiminfiveyears.Shebelievedthatthestressofthis___45___greatlytoherhealthproblems.Afterhearingherstoryandputtingonhersocks,IaskediftherewasanythingelseIcoulddoforher.She___46___herheadnoandsmiled.Allshewantedmetodowastolisten.

Eachstoryisdifferent.Somearedetailed;othersarevague.Somehaveabeginning,middleandend;otherswander___47___aclearconclusion.Somearetrue;othersnot.Yetallthosethingsdonotreallymatter.Whatmatterstothestorytelleristhatthestoryisheardwithout___48___,assumptionorjudgment.

Listeningtosomeone’sstorycosts___49___expensivediagnostictestingbutiskeytohealinganddiagnosis.

Ioftenthoughtof___50___thatwomantaughtme,andI___51___myselfoftheimportanceofstopping,sittingdownandtrulylistening.And,notlongafter,ina(n)___52___twist,Ibecamethepatient,withadiagnosisofmultiplesclerosis（多发性硬化症）atage31.Now,20yearslater,Isitallthetimeinawheelchair.

For___53___Icould,Icontinuedtoseepatientsfrommychair,butIhadtoresignwhenmyhandswereaffected.Istillteachmedicalstudentsan