"Back in Line" With Dr. Mosier: Exchange Student… From the Garden

How One Weed-Wrestling Exchange Student Inspired a Back-to-School Mission

A couple of weeks ago, Ellen came to me with an idea: she wanted to host a foreign exchange student.

I said, “No way!”

We’ve got enough on our plates already. We can’t be entertaining a foreign exchange student! Besides, the boys and I aren’t exactly what you’d call civilized. We eat like men—with our hands. Simply put, hosting a foreign exchange student sounded like a terrible idea.

…So, last week we hosted a foreign exchange student.

He was a quiet young man. Short in stature. Walked with a bit of a waddle.

Now, one thing to keep in mind about these exchange students is the cultural differences. And I mean major cultural differences. I often found him just standing in the yard, staring at the garden like he was guarding it from danger. Stranger still, he’d growl at the weeds like some wild animal on patrol.

His name? Gnormie. But let me tell you—he was anything but normal.

I try to be an understanding guy, but Gnormie was driving me bonkers with his detailed garden watering schedule. Then again, I kept reminding myself: gardening is all Gnormie knew. It’s all his family ever knew, too.

See, Gnormie is a Garden Gnome. And in his world, that’s a noble and important profession.

But Gnormie wanted to explore new possibilities. He was curious about chiropractic and massage therapy as potential career paths.

Ellen and I figured the best way for him to learn was through experience. So we checked his spine and nervous system using our neurological scans, which detect subluxations—misalignments in the spine that can cause nerve inflammation and damage.

We noticed a concerning reading at his L3/L4. So, we took some x-rays. They revealed an old disc injury—no doubt from his years of wrestling weeds into submission.

Yes, wrestling. He wouldn’t just pull weeds—he grappled with them until they begged for mercy. Like I said... major cultural differences.

The trouble with his disc injury is that it flares up from time to time, making it hard for him to walk or even stand upright.

We couldn’t bear to see our awkward little exchange student suffer. So we got to work. Chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, decompression, laser therapy—you name it. He loved it all. We also sent him home with some spinal hygiene exercises and tools to continue his healing.

In the end, Gnormie decided not to pursue a career in chiropractic or massage therapy. He felt called to continue his role as a Garden Gnome. But now he’s equipped to take care of his spine—and teach his hardworking family how to care for theirs.

And that got me thinking…

How empowered and equipped are our local  students?

School is right around the corner, and school supplies are in high demand. For some families, getting everything their child needs for the school year can be a real challenge.

That’s why we’re bringing back our annual “Fill the Bus” school supply drive.

Just as we empowered Gnormie, we want to empower local students—and ultimately, our whole community.

Here’s how it works: during the month of August, we’ll waive our new patient initial visit fee in exchange for $20 worth of school supplies. Everything collected will go toward supplying all three Washington County elementary schools—making sure every child has the tools they need to succeed.

It’s a win-win: you take care of your spine, and you help a student start the year strong.

Let’s fill the bus—together.

Your friend, Dr. Mosier