This episode of The Hard Man Podcast is brought to you by Backwards Planning Financial and Joe Garrison,

by Alpine Gold, by Max D Trailers, by Salt and Streams Butchery, and by Living Stones.

My son returned home from sleep away camp this summer with a stomachache.

When it didn't quickly abate, I took him to a

pediatric urgent care clinic where a doctor ruled out appendicitis. Probably justration came the verdict.

But before the doctor cleared us to go home,

he asked us to wait for the nurse who had a few questions.

Inn bustled a large man in black scrubs wielding a clipboard.

Would you mind giving us some privacy so that I can do our mental health screening?

He said.

After a beat, I realized, the privacy the man wanted with my son was from me.

I asked a CEO's questionnaire, which turned out to be issued by the National Institute of Mental Health, a federal government agency.

Here is the complete unedited list of questions the nurse had planned to put to my 12-year-old in private.

In the past few weeks, have you wished you were dead?

In the past few weeks, have you felt that you or your family would be better off if you were dead.

In the past week, have you been having thoughts about killing yourself?

Have you ever tried to kill yourself?

If yes, how?

When? Are you having thoughts of killing yourself right now? If yes, please describe.

When the nurse asked me to leave the room, he wasn't going off script. He was following a literal one.

The script for nursing staff directs nurses to inform parents. To ask these questions in private

so I am going to ask you to step out of the room for a few minutes.

...