is therapy contagious?

it's 8:55am and i'm stuck on 315 in bumper to bumper traffic.

trin's driving, rae is chilling in the back seat, and i'm listening to bjork trying to make sense of the morning.  man, people are assholes.  we get cut off a few times, and i look over to see trin's veins popping out of this forehead.  it makes this giant V--and when you see it, well you know he's pissed.

i quietly take a sip of my pumpkin spice latte, and go into my newly learned moment of zen.

i'm already fucking late for therapy.
can't change that one.
forgot to put mascara on.
can't change that.
didn't shave my legs.
well. what do they expect from someone in therapy?

i wonder if that illness that is in Saudi Arabia from all those camels will ever spread and kill out a ton of people.
okay, audra that's just you in a panic.  stop it. no more bbc news in the morning for you.

trin blurts out a sentence that slams me down back into the space i am currently occupying.

"i think i'm getting second hand therapy from you."
that was weird, but yes, i can see that.  all i seem to talk about are my maladaptive thoughts and obsessions. and i'm glad you are getting something from it.  i know i am. but it's not easy, having to take a step outside of your own body and realize where your issues are.

self-loathing, approval seeking, worst-case scenario, all or nothing. the list continues to grow.  but trin is learning a lot about himself too.

"why get mad over traffic when you can never ever change how dumb ohio drivers really are?" he asks.

they tell me in anger management class, that if you can't accept your anger you should do something nice for someone else.  trin agrees, and thinks he may try the approach.  another car cuts us off.  "maybe it is just how this society works.  we aren't really engrained with this 'self-aware' behavior you are learning."

i take another sip from my latte and realize i'm still fucking late.

but what if therapy was contagious like the Saudi Arabia camel illness?  what if it spread and the CDC and the WHO couldn't do anything about it?  everyone got this huge dose of therapy and learned all their weak and high points.

maybe we would have less people flipping me off in the morning, and maybe no one would judge my hairy legs.
maybe, we could all step back and realize as human beings we mess up.  trial and error.  and maybe from that we could learn.

what if therapy was contagious..