Bruce Willis and the cruelty of aphasia

A person can conceal aphasia for only so long, as Mr. Willis and his family seem to understand.

Bruce Willis’s family said this week that the actor is retiring because of aphasia. Mr. Willis’s family didn’t disclose what led to his diagnosis. Causes can include a stroke, a tumor or a severe brain injury. Common symptoms are being able to speak only in short or incomplete sentences, mixing up words or saying things that make no sense to listeners.

The man with whom I spent all those summers was Jan Berry, half of the surf-rock duo Jan and Dean, who in 1963 had the national No. 1 hit "Surf City."