DR. KALTER

My wife and I set up an interview with Kalter in order to run through the list of questions I had printed off the internet, "Important Things To Ask Your Pediatrician". When calling to set up the interview, Kalter answered the phone himself. I was pleasantly surprised that a doctor would answer his office phone directly. Did this mean he was outside the medical norm of power yielding men who typically roam the hospitals and doctor's offices I have previously encountered? Or, was it chance and due to the fact that his office staff were all out sick or out to lunch. Or, did it mean his office staff was incompetent as well as himself, leading to him being the only one available to answer the phones on that day. At the time, I thought the first two but now, 6 months later a think the last one. I'll get to why soon.

The interview went well I guess. I asked my questions which he answered and appeared to think it were somewhat of an annoyance but tolerable. Kalter is man probably in his mid to late 60's. He has been a practicing pediatrician for over 30 years. He is of the extreme nearsighted like myself. He has very thick glasses and appears to strain through what almost looks like two lazy eyes. He has hair coming from his nose and ears as if to indicate he doesn't spend much time on his physical appearance. The kind of thing you expect from a childhood prodigy. His hair combs from one side to the other in mixture of gray and what was probably strawberry blonde at one time. If he was to order a drink in a bar it would probably be a glass of house wine but possibly a scotch, call brand.

During the entire interview, Kalter seemed as if he was looking for a way to sell himself and not have to actually participate in an actual interview. In other words, he didn't take the route one might expect like trying to get to know us while listening a bit to our story or making a few jokes. Instead, he answered my questions, while intermittently interupting to offer some free stuff, such as, coupons, a diaper bag, and other STUFF. He has this sort of laugh that says, "I am a bit uncomfortable with all of this but I want to be your friend", like the smartest kid in high school offering a pretty girl some of his Cheetos and she says yes. He spoke directly to Susie, my wife nearly the entire interview. At some point we received a short lecture that the most important thing we could do for our baby is relax and let things happen, saying something like, "he will be born and then he will do what he is supposed to do and you will do what you are supposed to do" but not exactly.

I left feeling a bit strange about him but not turned off. In fact, he struck me as odd, something I grown to like a great deal these days about people. I also continued to like the fact that initially he answered his phone when I called. I liked that he gave us free stuff too. Ultimately, the decision was made the moment we walked in though. Susie was extremely pregnant and was at the point of indifference when it came to anything outside of getting the tenant that occupied the efficiency unit in her ute evicted. I realized this and was ready to be done with one more thing and we decided in the car in about 30 seconds after leaving the interview, Kalter would be the baby's doc.

A couple of days later my wife received a thank you card for coming in to meet Dr. Kalter, addressed only to her and our unborn baby.