{"id":51,"date":"2002-02-13T22:04:53","date_gmt":"2002-02-14T01:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ericbrooks.com\/soapbox\/?p=51"},"modified":"2011-06-02T11:25:34","modified_gmt":"2011-06-02T15:25:34","slug":"the-chinese-finger-lock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ericbrooks.com\/soapbox\/the-chinese-finger-lock\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chinese Finger Lock"},"content":{"rendered":"

My wife & I saw our new therapist today.<\/p>\n

Yeah. I know what you’re thinking: “Eric, you’re the SANEST guy I ever met, wtf????”<\/p>\n

I know. But it’s court ordered by Pike C&Y part of the whole “Family Plan” we had to sign (under duress, I might add…) in order to get the kids back over the summer. It also includes little diddys like “No more pets” and “no more Motels” (guess we have to sleep in the streets if a snowstorm strands us in Stroudsburg, or we go on vacation.). Carole & I had to seek counseling under this “Family Plan”. Not the kids, who are constantly having nightmares. Just us.<\/p>\n

Unlike the other dickhead we had, whom I lovingly refer to as “Dr. Mind Control” (that guy could have put out a report to say “we’re fine”, at any time, and ended this bullshit, but instead he just wanted to keep the sessions going even after my EAP insurance ran out… just to keep getting paid.) …We like this one. We’ve even scheduled the kids (whom I think *need it*.) to see her.<\/p>\n

She works for the same organization that was instrumental in raising 1\/3 of the “ransom money” we needed to pay “Psycho landlord” (no eviction yet…btw) in July. They see eye to eye with us on a lot of what’s going on.<\/p>\n

After trying to cram our saga in a 45\u00e2\u20ac\u201cminute session, she offered this sage advice:<\/p>\n

“Through total submission, you’ll achieve full control again.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

That may not make sense to you, but it’s the most brilliant fucking thing I’ve heard in a long time.
\nWe have been fighting this part of the war<\/a> all wrong.<\/p>\n

This may come as a shock to you all… but in real life, I’m a smartass. Very sarcastic, and very rebellious.<\/p>\n

No, Really.<\/p>\n

And Carole is too. There is a constant “pissing match” as they rub one of us the wrong way…. deliberately. They pit us against each other, and all sorts of dirty tricks.<\/p>\n

The agency only wants to dominate us, to wield full control over every aspect of our lives. And we always fight them tooth and nail every step of the way… thereby the need to “teach us a lesson”.<\/p>\n

It’s like the “Chinese Finger Lock”. Instinctively we pull and resist… and their grip tightens.<\/p>\n

She also said: “If you let them beat you, and they see they have the power over you… they *will* let you go.” This organization has had plenty of dealings with Pike C&Y. I believe her. As much as I’d love to crush them with a good lawyer… I know the price is too high to pay. It’s too bad, because I’m sure Lorimar Pictures would love to buy the movie rights… if we have one hell of an ending to it.<\/p>\n

In real life, I’m also very charming and diplomatic (read: professional bullshit artist and two\u00e2\u20ac\u201cfaced.). I can pull this off. Let them break us… and we win. Makes sense in a “Zen” sort of way.<\/p>\n

A Sensei always told me: “The battle is always won first in the mind.”
\nI can’t believe it took me this long to figure this out.<\/p>\n

I looked up to see a beautiful blue sky today.
\nI haven’t been able to see in color since October.
\nIt’s a brand new day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What do you do when CPS has full control over you? I therapist tells us to give in and use reverse psychology. And you know what? It works!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-enemy-of-the-state"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Chinese Finger Lock - SoApBoX<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ericbrooks.com\/soapbox\/the-chinese-finger-lock\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Chinese Finger Lock - SoApBoX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What do you do when CPS has full control over you? I therapist tells us to give in and use reverse psychology. And you know what? 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