Another Dr Lee story for you today.
Well, here I was doing something I never thought I would do… Again! My ‘safe’ and predictable way of life was becoming a distant memory the more I worked with Dr Lee.
I don’t remember how we got onto the subject, but we were talking about going out for coffee when he asked, ‘Where do you usually sit?’
‘At the back, against the wall.’
‘Why?’
I shrugged. ‘It’s the safest place. I can see everyone and if there’s any trouble, I’ll know about it.’
‘Have you ever sat at a table out on the sidewalk?’
‘No,’ I said, surprised. ‘Why would I do that?’
He was silent for a moment. ‘Do you know that in some European countries the price of coffee depends on where you sit? To have coffee on the sidewalk is more expensive than sitting inside at the back of the cafe. The sidewalk is actually highly sought after.’ He reached for an appointment card and started filling it in. Suddenly he stopped and looked at me with a smile. ‘I’ve just had a great idea. Why don’t we have our next session at a coffee shop in Cottesloe? We can sit out on the sidewalk and have coffee.’ I thought it was a terrible idea!
A week later, there I was sitting at a table out on the sidewalk with Dr Lee and our coffees. My heart was hammering as I looked around nervously. I felt utterly exposed and so vulnerable.
‘What are you thinking?’ he asked.
‘I don’t understand why people would want to put themselves on display like this.’
A smile tugged at the edges of his mouth and he asked what my anxiety level was. I told him it was about 8 out of 10, and I handed over my diary and homework. I still couldn’t believe that we were actually going to do this session sitting out on the footpath in full public view!
While he read through everything, occasionally going back to one page or another, I began to look further afield. There was a bakery across the road. The longer we sat there, the more curious I became about my surroundings. During the next half hour, we discussed my homework and every once in a while he would ask what my anxiety level was. To my amazement, it was coming down. On the way home, he asked what I thought of the morning and I told him that I didn’t think I would do it again.
But… Here I am almost 10 years later, sitting out on the sidewalk having coffee – and enjoying it. Thank you, Dr Lee.
