In Treatment

Another show I watch, however, I've been kind of an inconsistent fan. We didn't have HBO when the show began 3 seasons ago. I started watching the 2nd season kind of by accident. It seemed like an interesting premise, a therapist's weekly sessions with 3 different clients, then the therapist's session with his own therapist. Occupational interest at best, voyeurism at least.

While watching therapist Paul Weston's transition to living in NYC separated from his family, I watched Paul's life in Baltimore in season 1 as his marriage begins to dissolve. DVD is a great way to catch up quickly & in my case obsessively. I remember doing the same thing with "The Gilmore Girls" 5 years ago!

Anyway, same thing happened. We recently got a few months of HBO for free so I had access to season 3. However, I never finished watching season 2. I'm sure I got tired of watching therapy "for pleasure" (what TV is for me usually), after working with people's issues all day at work. Yet it wasn't a problem since he had new clients. I learned his divorce was final, his ex-wife was engaged & Paul had a new girlfriend. I got consumed again, fascinated by these character's issues & how the analyst (the term used) negotiated the therapy sessions.

I was curious how Paul maintained professional boundaries while working in a room inside his cool NYC apartment. At the same time I watched as Paul fought his own personal demons in both client sessions & the ones with his new analyst played by Amy Ryan. I definitely look at my own counseling techniques & see how I can improve. It's different since I'm not a Freudian analyst & I don't have 50 minutes once a week with a student. It's a frustrating process actually, brief-solution focused counseling, usually 10-15 minutes max per student & not all students anyway.

It really makes me think about establishing a private practice & using own home. Technically I'm not sure if I have the appropriate credentials actually, but gives me pause. Jai sees a therapist (I don't think she calls herself an analyst) who works in her home. I've talked about my mom's business in our converted garage. Maybe that's what we could do with ours! HAHA!

I talk about being self-employed, but I like the comfort of working for an organization. I have so many ideas - baker/chef, organization consultant, therapist - & I'm sure I could come up with more. Something brainless would be nice ... not really, but sometimes seems appealing. 19 more years in public education seems like a long time yet I know retirement at 59 is not likely either - for monetary reasons mainly.

Reality Check, 1-2-1-2

Until yesterday having a baby and being a stay-at-home dad was somewhere in the future. I knew the due date but it didn't mean a whole lot.

Yesterday I met with several upper level staff members (my boss, her boss, director of HR and director of Administration) about my future leave time and what not. I went in naïvely thinking there were possibilities of flex time or doing what I do part-time or something. During the meeting I was told in no uncertain terms that when my FMLA period has expired I will work at the will of the library. I imagine in more prosperous times flex, tele-commuting and whatnot might have been on the table but during this economic down turn there is no way the library can play with such ideas.

I'm not mad but I was served a true reality check. I might be able to work in the library but it will be part-time probably as a circ asst and who knows what my pay will be. As difficult as this job is I don't know how to feel about not doing it anymore. This presents tremendous opportunity - I will have little excuse for starting school or writing that book or who knows what - but it's gonna be hard too. Our income will drop about 40%, we'll have a baby and I will be the oddity known as stay-at-home dad.

My life is really about to change.