a 72 hour conversation
November 04, 2003, 6:04 pm

"What I'm getting from you is that you're a perfectionist. You never want anything to be wrong, and you trust in other people's opinions too much."

"Ummm...not really."

"Don't you think you're being too hard on yourself?"

"No, I'm too easy on myself. That's why I'm in this position."

"You punish yourself."

"Because I deserve it."

_______________________________________

"I shouldn't even be paying THIS much attention to you because I know this is what you want."

_______________________________________

"Great, just great, Ms. B. We're a week away from the play, and it sucks. I'm scared."

_______________________________________

"I think what you need to do is to go home."

"I can't."

"I'll run rehearsal."

"I can't...they'll hate me for it."

"They'll hate that you're miserable even more. Go."

_______________________________________

"It says 'UNSUFFICIENT FUNDS."

"Are you kidding me?"

"*whips computer screen around so it is visible to everyone in aisle*"

_______________________________________

"You've got to stop this, right now."

"I don't think I can."

"You're scaring everyone. It isn't right."

_______________________________________

"The problem is, you can't do everything at once. You're not responsible for anyone else's happiness."

"See, you're wrong. I AM."

"That's your problem then."

_______________________________________

"Tough love time. You MUST pull yourself up. It is BREAKING MY HEART you're like this."

"I'm trying."

"Get yourself out of this funk before you can't get out. You can do it. You know we're here."

_______________________________________

"I hate being like this."

"So stop."

"I don't think I can."

_______________________________________

"This is just between you and me. It'll get your mind off money at least."

"I don't want it."

"Stop being childish and take it, please."

"See, borrowing money from you is exactly what is making me a child."

"Consider it a loan. You have to pay me back before 2005."

"I already owe you $2700."

"So now you owe me $3200."

_______________________________________

"That's fucking great. I just turned into one of THOSE diarists."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, the ones that write in snippets of conversation that don't mean anything to anyone else, like ims or something; I'm one of those diarists that bitches and complains about being depressed or something stupid and never writes anything clever. I'm all "OH, POOR FUCKING ME" when I don't have anything worthwhile to say."

"So what's up with you? Why are you like this?"

"I don't know. I don't believe in stuff like being depressed or disturbed or anything, at least not for me. I think I'm just overreacting to a lot of stress."

"You think too much."

"I know. What's that?"

"This tray I have to pee in for my kidney stones."

"Gross."

"Yeah. You're scaring me. Stop crying."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I hate being this way!"

"Dude, shut up. You'll be fine."

"See, that was the reaction I wanted. Thanks."

"No problem. And by the way, if you don't start writing about being drunk and fucking strangers, I'm not reading you anymore. Deal?"

"Deal."