There was plenty of candy there. They wouldn't miss a couple pieces.
What did it matter that it was not his candy ...after all, they were all breathing his air. So, why couldn't they also share the candy.
Johnny's parents were not happy when they found out that their little boy was stealing candy from the store. They sat him down, and felt they should have a long talk about it. They told him they loved him. And they also told him it was wrong to steal.
Johnny listened to their spiel, but little did they know that little Johnny still thought it was no big deal to steal.
************************************************
Johnny becomes an adult. He doesn't like to be called Johnny ...so he drops the 'h'. He feels his parents always gave him 'h'. Though they'd never dropped him over their knee, he also drops the 'ny'...it just sounds childish to him.
Even though Jon changed his name because he thought it sounded childish, he didn't change his childish behavior. Finally, Jon gets caught and is arrested for stealing.
Jon didn't have to go to jail ...and he felt a bit smug about the fact that when the judge asked him to approach the bench to give him a firm counseling ---along with a large fine, and a requirement to attend further counseling ---that he was able to take the judge's gavel and smuggle it out of the courtroom.
This is Jon's first session:
Therapist: "How is it that you find yourself stealing? How does it make you feel?"
Jon: "What kind of question is that?"
Therapist: "Let's get to the 'why' aspect of it ...why do you steal?"
Jon: "Because my parents always made a big deal."
Therapist: "About everything?"
Jon: "No, my stealing! Why do you think I am here? I'm told I have a stealing problem!"
Therapist: "You don't think it's a problem? You don't think your parents should have made a big deal?"
Jon: "No."
Therapist: "Did they beat you?"
Jon: "No, they always confronted me."
Therapist: "How?"
Jon: "They sat me down and talked to me."
Therapist: "Did they tell you how disappointed they were with you?"
Jon: "No, they said they loved me ...but they also said that part of loving a child is telling them what was right and wrong."
Therapist: "If they hadn't told you stealing was wrong, what would have happened?"
Jon: "I would have probably got bored with it, and quit."
Therapist: "Are you bored now, Jon?"
Jon: "Yes."
Therapist: "Then why don't you quit? Can you please put back my paper weight, Jon? That was a gift from my parents."
Jon: (taking it from under his shirt) Okay, it looks like a piece of junk anyway ...your parents must not've liked you very much to give you such a cheap present."
Therapist: "My parents love me enough that when I was younger they felt a need to put me over their knee on occasion."
Jon: "Is that what you think I need?"
Therapist: "You are an adult now ...it's a little too late for that. But, tell me, why did you want to take my paper weight?"
Jon: "Because you remind me of my parents!"
Therapist: "How's that?"
Jon: "You ask too many questions ...and I have little or no freedom to do what I want."
Therapist: "Oh, I understand ...just a minute, Jon, I need to make a call." (She dials a number, then speaks into the phone), "Can you come to my office, please?"
Jon: "Who did you just call?"
Therapist: "Why would you care? It was my secretary ...does that bother you?"
Jon: "No."
Therapist: "Well, I'll just be a minute ...we are almost done here, so I'm going to have my secretary pick me up some lunch." (She goes to her door, whispers to her secretary, and returns to her desk.) Well, I guess we don't have much more to discuss, Jon ...since it's a court ordered session, and you don't seem to have any desire to be here."
Jon: (Stands up, but can't find his keys. He quickly pats himself down, checking all his pockets ...and picks up some papers on her desk, then looks on the floor and under the desk. He hears an engine start up, and looks out the window.) Hey, that's my car!!"
Therapist: "I took your car keys, and I sent out my secretary to make reservations at a favorite restaurant of mine. I decided I didn't want to eat in for lunch."
Jon: "You stole my car keys, ...and my car!!"
Therapist: "What I realized was ...that when you took my paper weight, it made me feel more than just disrespected. It made me more than a little upset ...it made me real mad!! I guess you reminded me of how my younger brother used to treat me."
Jon: "But ...you stole my car!!"
Therapist: "If I hadn't said anything, would you have kept my paper weight?"
Jon: "Probably."
Therapist: "Well, what's the difference then? The only difference is that I'm slicker than you. I guess that goes along with my paygrade."
Jon: "That doesn't give you the right to steal my car!!"
Therapist: "The right? Now, you want to talk about right and wrong? Maybe we will accomplish something after all."
Jon: "Will I get my car back?"
Therapist: "That depends. As far as right and wrong goes, we have to agree that it has nothing to do with what anyone else does, we won't blame others, and we will take responsibility for what we do. But, before I even consider giving your car back ...you have to return the gavel to my husband."
Jon: "Husband??"
Therapist: "Yes, the judge is my husband. But, you will have to answer to one higher than him."
Jon: "Higher than him?"
Therapist: "Yes, from now on, it will not be whatever either of us thinks ...it's going to be God's standards."
Jon: "God?"
Therapist: "Yes, if you don't know Him, then I wouldn't be so eager to get your car back. It would be safer to walk."
Jon: (sighs)"Okay, you can have it your way ...go ahead, and walk me through it, your way."
Therapist: "No, like I said, we're going to try God's way!"
************************************************
Johnny becomes an adult. He doesn't like to be called Johnny ...so he drops the 'h'. He feels his parents always gave him 'h'. Though they'd never dropped him over their knee, he also drops the 'ny'...it just sounds childish to him.
Even though Jon changed his name because he thought it sounded childish, he didn't change his childish behavior. Finally, Jon gets caught and is arrested for stealing.
Jon didn't have to go to jail ...and he felt a bit smug about the fact that when the judge asked him to approach the bench to give him a firm counseling ---along with a large fine, and a requirement to attend further counseling ---that he was able to take the judge's gavel and smuggle it out of the courtroom.
This is Jon's first session:
Therapist: "How is it that you find yourself stealing? How does it make you feel?"
Jon: "What kind of question is that?"
Therapist: "Let's get to the 'why' aspect of it ...why do you steal?"
Jon: "Because my parents always made a big deal."
Therapist: "About everything?"
Jon: "No, my stealing! Why do you think I am here? I'm told I have a stealing problem!"
Therapist: "You don't think it's a problem? You don't think your parents should have made a big deal?"
Jon: "No."
Therapist: "Did they beat you?"
Jon: "No, they always confronted me."
Therapist: "How?"
Jon: "They sat me down and talked to me."
Therapist: "Did they tell you how disappointed they were with you?"
Jon: "No, they said they loved me ...but they also said that part of loving a child is telling them what was right and wrong."
Therapist: "If they hadn't told you stealing was wrong, what would have happened?"
Jon: "I would have probably got bored with it, and quit."
Therapist: "Are you bored now, Jon?"
Jon: "Yes."
Therapist: "Then why don't you quit? Can you please put back my paper weight, Jon? That was a gift from my parents."
Jon: (taking it from under his shirt) Okay, it looks like a piece of junk anyway ...your parents must not've liked you very much to give you such a cheap present."
Therapist: "My parents love me enough that when I was younger they felt a need to put me over their knee on occasion."
Jon: "Is that what you think I need?"
Therapist: "You are an adult now ...it's a little too late for that. But, tell me, why did you want to take my paper weight?"
Jon: "Because you remind me of my parents!"
Therapist: "How's that?"
Jon: "You ask too many questions ...and I have little or no freedom to do what I want."
Therapist: "Oh, I understand ...just a minute, Jon, I need to make a call." (She dials a number, then speaks into the phone), "Can you come to my office, please?"
Jon: "Who did you just call?"
Therapist: "Why would you care? It was my secretary ...does that bother you?"
Jon: "No."
Therapist: "Well, I'll just be a minute ...we are almost done here, so I'm going to have my secretary pick me up some lunch." (She goes to her door, whispers to her secretary, and returns to her desk.) Well, I guess we don't have much more to discuss, Jon ...since it's a court ordered session, and you don't seem to have any desire to be here."
Jon: (Stands up, but can't find his keys. He quickly pats himself down, checking all his pockets ...and picks up some papers on her desk, then looks on the floor and under the desk. He hears an engine start up, and looks out the window.) Hey, that's my car!!"
Therapist: "I took your car keys, and I sent out my secretary to make reservations at a favorite restaurant of mine. I decided I didn't want to eat in for lunch."
Jon: "You stole my car keys, ...and my car!!"
Therapist: "What I realized was ...that when you took my paper weight, it made me feel more than just disrespected. It made me more than a little upset ...it made me real mad!! I guess you reminded me of how my younger brother used to treat me."
Jon: "But ...you stole my car!!"
Therapist: "If I hadn't said anything, would you have kept my paper weight?"
Jon: "Probably."
Therapist: "Well, what's the difference then? The only difference is that I'm slicker than you. I guess that goes along with my paygrade."
Jon: "That doesn't give you the right to steal my car!!"
Therapist: "The right? Now, you want to talk about right and wrong? Maybe we will accomplish something after all."
Jon: "Will I get my car back?"
Therapist: "That depends. As far as right and wrong goes, we have to agree that it has nothing to do with what anyone else does, we won't blame others, and we will take responsibility for what we do. But, before I even consider giving your car back ...you have to return the gavel to my husband."
Jon: "Husband??"
Therapist: "Yes, the judge is my husband. But, you will have to answer to one higher than him."
Jon: "Higher than him?"
Therapist: "Yes, from now on, it will not be whatever either of us thinks ...it's going to be God's standards."
Jon: "God?"
Therapist: "Yes, if you don't know Him, then I wouldn't be so eager to get your car back. It would be safer to walk."
Jon: (sighs)"Okay, you can have it your way ...go ahead, and walk me through it, your way."
Therapist: "No, like I said, we're going to try God's way!"
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