Down at the canoeing dock sits a man at whom we have all chuckled, Matt Healy remains obscure and dull to most of us. We ignore him at staff meetings as he drones on in unnecessary polysyllables.

After my unveiling of that name, some disgusted mental loafers will no doubt flip the page in search of lighthearted reading. I first chatted with Healy strictly out of curiosity. The talk quickly turned intellectual. Matt spews out facts, statistics, and theories, his own and others, in a veritable Vesuvios of thought. His expertise spans the gamut from calculator circuitry to E.E. Cummings’ poetry.

Because of a hearing defect, Healy ‘s speech sounds slurred. Some mock him for that. Ironically, he probably uses his voice more purposefully than we do. Based on word worth, Matt should have perfect speech, while some of us should be mute. Equipped with flawless grammar and keen points, he deserves much attention of the camp.

Matt’s problem resembles Bob Dylan’s trademark. Dylan’s voice sounds in no way dulcet or melodious, yet he has a message; he chatters on and on urgently, poetically, inveighing the Vietnam war and the Establishment. Healy’s content is just as rich.

My purpose is not to convert Camp Timberlane to some intellectual symposium. Camp serves as a retreat, among other things. Too much intellectualism is, of course, out of place. But to remove one’s self entirely from world news, sobriety, and any celebration can only result in whiplash upon reentry. Discussing algebra or SALT II will not ruin one’s summer!

Healy, who symbolizes intellect here at Timberlane, receives far too much abuse. Some campers and staff ignore and mock him. Others do not take him seriously enough. We must recognize him as a resource and respect him as a person.

One explanation for the scorn Healy receives is intellectual laziness. He demands effort from his listener in any conversation with him. People would rather ignore him than risk failer in understanding him. Regular camp talk, comprised of one-syllable words and punctuated with profanity, is simpler. In the lodge, other stale words replace the profanity. Listen sometime to the verbal diarrhea that, in addition to food, gets thrown around during meals. These grammatical atrocities are many. Healy singularly stands out as a model for precise English to the campers.

As a second explanation, some of us feel threatened by his massive vocabulary. I admit, he does get a bit wordy at times, but most of us err worse to the other extreme.

So if ever you find yourself oversatiated with trivia questions and dinner jokes, pose a question to Matt Healy and listen to his answer.