Okay well here goes another.
I was in therapy with a shrink who, every time I’d say something like “I’m really not sure this is working for me,” would respond with “You’re avoiding things and that’s why you want to leave.” So I’d assume he was the expert and I’d stay. 1/
I was in therapy with a shrink who, every time I’d say something like “I’m really not sure this is working for me,” would respond with “You’re avoiding things and that’s why you want to leave.” So I’d assume he was the expert and I’d stay. 1/
One time (this was in maybe 1990 or 91) I was prattling on about something and he raised his hand and said “I’m going to stop you right there. You know what you need? To TAKE YOUR MIND OFF your problem.” And then he appeared to be searching (in his brain) for a solution. 2/
Finally he raised his finger in a kind of (badly acted) “aha!” moment and said “I think I might have the thing.” And he rose, opened a file cabinet, fingered through it, removed a manila folder, and handed it to me. In it was a stapled 8-10 page document. 3/
It said “SNAP! (not real title, btw) - a Treatment for a screenplay by Dr Walter V Hoffman” (not his real name). I gaped at him. He just stared back. “What..? I’m sorry - am I supposed to read this?” “Please. There’s a reason for this.” And like a f***ing idiot, I read it. 4/
And AS I’m reading, I notice he’s pacing, behind me, his brow furrowed, his finger stroking his chin as if he’s Sherlock Holmes or Sigmund Freud. About halfway through I look back at him. He keeps pacing.m. “Are you captivated?” he asks. (I swear to God this is true.) 5/
“L“Is it fully engaging you? Is your mind transported from what were talking about earlier?” I just stared. “I feel like.. to be honest, it seems kinda like you’re just trying to get me to read your treatment.. like, I don’t know.. 6/
Like you’re asking me to help you find an agent or something.” To which he responded, in his best faux-earnest: “I wouldn’t know the first thing about finding an agent... would you?” I was literally speechless. Finally I managed to eke out “I’m not paying for this.” And stood. 7/
“Ah! Very very good!” he beamed. “You’re standing up for yourself - we’ve done good work!” (It was clear he had dug - and was continuing to dig - a giant hole for himself. And he knew it. But he kept going.) “6 months ago you’d’ve read all the way through. This is good!” 8/
I fumfered around while my mind replayed the last yr or so I’d been seeing him. “I’m done here.” And I left for good.
I know this doesn’t reflect all that well on me, TBH. But guess what? This isn’t even my worst WALTER V HOFFMAN story!!
(Maybe 1 day if I get the balls)
9/9
I know this doesn’t reflect all that well on me, TBH. But guess what? This isn’t even my worst WALTER V HOFFMAN story!!
(Maybe 1 day if I get the balls)
9/9
