|
Once You Label Me, You Nag At Me
Cecilia was a good therapist, except for one disconcerting habit: She kept "Pop Goes the Weasel" playing in the background. Every time the "POP!" note sounded, she would jump straight up out of her chair and make grotesque, goofy faces. She’d bobble about for a few seconds, then sit back down. This behavior did little to instill confidence in her clients. When asked about it, she would explain, "Oh, my father always said I was a jack-in-the-box." Whenever Dax was around any open flame or smoldering ember, he would unzip his trousers and make good use of the extinguisher with which Nature provided him. While some acquaintances found this behavior laudable when aimed at smokers, they were not amused when he performed the same stunt at a bar-b-que or a Fourth of July celebration. His wife complained that it was all but impossible to keep a pilot light lit in the house. Dax was not invited to many birthday parties. When pressed for an explanation—as he often was—Dax would say, "When I was in fourth grade, a teacher told me that I was a fire truck." Patara was a much sought after heart surgeon. Her reputation also preceded her concerning her stinking shoes. Her shoes always smelled really, really bad. Patara explained, "My ex-husband always said that I was incapable of distinguishing between manure and a popular brand of shoe polish. By golly, he was right!"
We can define ourselves, write our own scripts, or leave that task to less-concerned others.
|
