_________________________
IfI maintain silence
about my secret it is my
prisoner; if I let it
slip from my tongue, I am
its prisoner. On the tree
of silence hang the
fruits of peace.
_________________________
Bonnie`s concern about the group proved unfounded: at the next meeting
everyone was not only present but early—except for Philip, who strode in briskly
and took his seat at exactly four–thirty.
A short silence at the beginning of a group therapy session is not unusual.
Members learn quickly not to open the meeting capriciously because the first
speaker is generally fated to receive much time and attention. But Philip,
graceless as ever, did not wait. Avoiding eye contact, he began speaking in his
unemotional, disembodied voice.
«The account given by our returning member last week—”
«Name of Pam,” interrupted Tony.
Philip nodded without looking up. «Pam`s description of my list was
incomplete. It was more than a simple list of the women with whom I had sex that
month; it contained not only names but phone numbers—”
Pam interrupted, «Oh. Phone numbers! Oh, well then, excuse me—that
makes it all okay!»
Undeterred, Philip continued, «The list also contained a brief description of
the lovemaking preferences of each woman.»
«Lovemaking preferences?» asked Tony.
«Yes, what each woman preferred in the sexual act. Such as, likes it from
the rear...sixty–nine...long foreplay required...begin with lengthy back
massage...massage oil...gets off on spanking...breast sucking...likes
handcuffs...tied to bedposts a big turn–on.»
Julius winced. Good God! Where was Philip going—was he heading in the
direction of revealing Pam`s preferences? Big trouble ahead.
Before he could head Philip off, Pam shot out, «You are truly disgusting.
Repulsive.» Pam leaned forward as if preparing to rise from her chair and leave.
Bonnie put her hand on Pam`s arm to detain her and said to Philip, «I`m
with Pam on this one. Philip, are you crazy? Why on earth would you brag about
those things?»
«Yeah,” said Gill, «I just don`t get you. Look, here you are under blistering
attack—I mean I`m wincing for you, man. I could not face what you`re facing.
But what do you do? You throw gasoline on the fire and you say,вЂBurn me some
more.` No offense, Philip, but, shit, how can you do that?»
«Yeah, that`s what I see too,” said Stuart. «If I were in your situation, I`d
want to put myself in the best possible light—not give the enemy more
ammunition.»
Julius tried to soothe the waters. «Philip, what have you been feeling the
last few minutes?»
«Well, I had something important to say about that list and I said it—so
naturally I feel entirely satisfied with the course of events.»
Julius persevered. In his most gentle voice, he said, «Several people
responded to you, Philip. What are you feeling about that?»
«That`s where I don`t go, Julius. That way lies despair. Better, far better,
for me to keep my own counsel.»
Julius pulled out another device from his grab bag—that venerable but
reliable strategy of conditional voice. «Philip, try a thought experiment.
Philosophers do that everyday. I understand your wish to retain your equanimity,
but humor me for a moment and try to imagine thatyou were going to have
feelings about others` responses today. What might they be? ”
Philip considered Julius`s question, smiled slightly, and nodded his head,
perhaps as a token of admiration for the ingenuity of Julius`s ploy.
«An experiment? Fair enough. If Iwere to have had feelings, I would have
felt frightened by the ferocity of Pam`s interruption. I am not unaware that she
wishes to do me grievous harm.»
Pam started to interject, but Julius immediately signaled her to be silent and
allow Philip to continue.
«Then Bonnie inquired about the point of my bragging, and then Gill and
Stuart asked about why I was attempting to immolate myself.»
«Immo what?» asked Tony.
Pam opened her mouth to respond, but Philip instantaneously said,
«Immolate—to sacrifice oneself by fire.»
«Okay, you`re partway there,” Julius persisted. «You`ve accurately
described what happened—what Bonnie, Gill, and Stuart said. Now try to
continue with the experiment—if you were going to have feelings about their
comments.»
«Right, I`ve gotten off track. No doubt you would conclude my
unconscious is making an appearance.»
Julius nodded. «Go on, Philip.»
«I would feel entirely misunderstood. I would say to Pam, вЂI wasn`t trying
to make it okay.` To Bonnie, I`d say, вЂBragging was the last thing in my mind.`
To Gill and Stuart, I`d say, вЂThank you for the warning, but I was not attempting
to injure myself.`”
«Okay, now we know what youweren`t doing. So tell us what youwere
doing? I`m bewildered,” said Bonnie.
«I was simply setting the record straight. Following the dictates of reason.
Nothing less, nothing more.»
The group lapsed into that state of mind that always ensued from an
interaction with Philip. He was so rational, so imperially above the strife of
everyday discourse. Everyone looked down, bewildered, disoriented. Tony shook
his head.
«I comprehend every point you made,” said Julius, «except the last one—
that last phrase—вЂnothing less, nothing more.` That I cannot buy. Why volunteer
that particular aspect of the truthnow, today, at this juncture, in your relationship
with us? You were eager to do it. You couldn`t wait. I could feel your pressure to
get it out. Despite the obvious negative consequences pointed out by the group,
you were determined to jump in immediately today. Let`s try to figure out why.
What was the payoff for you?»
«That`s not hard,” responded Philip. «I know exactly why I said it.»
Silence. Everyone waited.
«I`m getting pissed,” said Tony. «Philip, you`ve got us hanging; you do this
all the time. Do we have to beg you for the next sentence?»
«Sorry?» asked Philip, his face in a puzzled scrunch.
«You`ve got us all waiting to hear why you said it,” said Bonnie. «Are you
being deliberately inscrutable here?»
«Perhaps you think we don`t want to know, that we have no curiosity about
what you`re going to say,” suggested Rebecca.
«It`s none of these,” said Philip. «It`s got nothing to do with you. It just
happens that my focus fades and I turn inward.»
«This sounds important,” said Julius. «I think there`s a reason for that—and
it involves your interactions with the group. If you truly believe that your
behavior is capricious, something like rain that just happens, then you`re
assuming a helpless stance. There is a reason you periodically avoid us and turn
inward: I think it`s because some anxiety has welled up in you. In this instance
your loss of focus had to do with how you opened the meeting. Can you pursue
that?»
Philip was silent, pondering Julius`s words.
Julius had his ways of ratcheting up the pressure when treating other
therapists: «Another thing, Philip, if you`re going to be seeing clients or leading a
group in the future, losing focus and turning inward is going to be a real liability
in your work.»
That did the trick. Philip immediately said, «I chose to reveal what I did for
self–protection. Pam knew everything about the list, and I was uncomfortable
about her being able to drop that bomb at any time. Revealing it myself was the
lesser of two evils.» Philip hesitated, inhaled, then continued: «There`s more to
say. I still haven`t addressed Bonnie`s accusation of bragging. I kept that list
because I had been extremely sexually active that year. My three–week
relationship with Pam`s friend Molly was unusual; I preferred one–night stands,
though I occasionally went back for seconds when I felt particularly sexually
pressured and couldn`t meet someone new. When I saw the same woman a second
time, I needed the notes to refresh my memory and make the woman feel I
remembered her. If she knew the truth—that she was just one of many—I might
not succeed. No braggadoccio whatsoever in these notes. They were meant for my
private use only. Molly had the key to my apartment, invaded my privacy, forced
open a locked desk drawer, and stole the list.»
«You telling us,” asked Tony, wide–eyed, «you had sex with so many
women you had to keep notes so you wouldn`t mix them up? I mean, what are we
talking about here? How many? How`d you pull this off?»
Julius groaned to himself. Things were complicated enough already without
Tony`s envy–laced question. The tension between Pam and Philip was already
unbearably high. It needed defusing, but Julius wasn`t sure how to do it.
Unexpected help arrived from Rebecca, who suddenly altered the entire course of
the meeting.
«I`m sorry to interrupt, but I need some time in the group today,” she said.
«I`ve been thinking all week about revealing something I`ve never told anyone,
not even you, Julius. This is, I think, my darkest secret.» Rebecca paused, looked
around the group. All eyes were on her. «This okay?»
Julius turned to Pam and Philip. «How about you two? Are we leaving you
with too many strong feelings?»
«Okay with me,” said Pam. «I need some time out.»
«And you, Philip?»
Philip nodded.
«More than okay with me,” said Julius, «unless you want to mention first
about why you`ve decided to reveal this today.»
«No, it`s better for me to plunge in while I still have the courage. Here
goes: About fifteen years ago, about two weeks before my wedding, my company
sent me to the Las Vegas computer expo to do a presentation on their new
product. I had already handed in my resignation, and this presentation was to be
my last assignment—I was thinking then that perhaps it might be the last one in
my life. I was already two months pregnant, and Jack and I had planned a month–long honeymoon and then I was to turn to house and baby. This was long before
law school—I had no idea whether I`d ever work again.
«Well, I fell into in a strange mood in Vegas. One evening, to my surprise, I
found myself in the bar of Caesar`s Palace. I ordered a drink and soon fell into an
intimate conversation with a well–dressed man. He asked if I was a working girl. I
was unfamiliar with that phrase and nodded yes. Before I could say more about
my job he asked me my fee. I gulped, looked him over—he was cute—and said,
вЂOne hundred fifty dollars.` He nodded and up we went to his room. And then the
next night I moved to the Tropicana and did it again. Same fee. And my last night
there I did a freebie.»
Rebecca took a deep breath, exhaled loudly. «And that`s it. I`ve never told
anyone about this. Sometimes I`ve considered telling Jack but never did. What
would have been the point? Nothing but grief for him and precious little
absolution for me.... And...Tony, you bastard...goddammit, that`s not funny!»
Tony, who had taken his wallet out and was counting his money, stopped in
his tracks and, with a sheepish smile, said, «Just wanted to lighten things up.»
«I don`t want it to be made light of. This is heavy stuff for me.» Rebecca
flashed one of her remarkable smiles, which she could conjure up at will. «There
it is—true confessions.» She turned to Stuart, who on more than one occasion had
referred to her as a porcelain doll. «So, what doyou think? Maybe Rebecca`s not
the dainty doll she appears to be.»
Stuart said, «I wasn`t thinking that. You know where I went as you spoke? I
flashed on a movie I rented a few nights ago—The Green Mile.There was an
unforgettable scene of a condemned prisoner eating his last meal. Sounds to me
that in Las Vegas you treated yourself to one last piece of freedom before
marriage.»
Julius nodded and said, «I agree. Sounds much like something you and I
talked about a long time ago, Rebecca.» To the group Julius explained, «Several
years ago Rebecca and I worked together for about a year when she was wrestling
with the decision of getting married.» Turning back to Rebecca, he said, «I
remember we spent weeks talking about your fears of giving up your freedom,
your sense of your possibilities closing. Like Stuart, I think that those were the
concerns that got played out in Las Vegas.»
«One thing sticks out in my mind from those hours together, Julius. I
remember your telling me about a novel where someone seeks a wise man who
tells him thatalternatives exclude, that for everyyes there has to be ano.»
«Hey, I know that book—John Gardner`sGrendel ,” interrupted Pam. «It
was Grendel, the demon, who sought out the wise man.»
«Endless interconnections here,” said Julius. «Pam first introduced me to
that novel when I was seeing her for a few months about the same time. So,
Rebecca, if that comment was helpful, you owe thanks to Pam.»
Rebecca, flashed Pam a big thank–you smile. «You were giving me indirect
therapy. I pasted a note with that phrase on my mirror:Alternatives exclude. It
explained my block in saying yes to Jack even though I believed he was the right
man.» Then, to Julius: «I remember your saying that to grow old gracefully I had
to accept the limiting of possibilities.»
«Long before Gardner,” Philip interjected, «Heidegger,” he turned to Tony,
«an important German philosopher in the first half of last century...”
«An important Nazi, too,” Pam interjected.
Philip ignored Pam`s comment. «Heidegger spoke of confronting the
limiting of possibility. In fact he linked it to the fear of death. Death, he
suggested, was theimpossibility of further possibility. ”
«Death as theimpossibility of further possibility,” Julius repeated, «a
powerful thought. Maybe I`ll pastethat onmy mirror. Thanks, Philip. There`re so
many things to look at here, including your feelings, Pam, but first, one more
comment to you, Rebecca. This episode in Las Vegas must have happened while
you and I were meeting, and you never mentioned it to me. That tells me how
much shame you must have felt.»
Rebecca nodded. «Yep, I decided to deep–six the whole episode.» After
pausing and considering whether to say anything else, she added, «There`s more,
Julius. I was ashamed, but even more...this feels risky...I felt even more shame
when I fantasized about it afterward: it was a fantastic high—not a sexual high, no
that`s not right, notjust a sexual high, but the excitement of being outside the law,
of being primitive. And you know,” Rebecca turned toward Tony, «that`s always
been part of my attraction to you, Tony—your jail time, your bar fights, your
flaunting of the rules. But just now you went over the top; that stunt of pulling out
your money was offensive.»
Before Tony could reply, Stuart jumped in. «You`ve got a lot of guts,
Rebecca. I admire you. And you`ve liberated me to reveal something I`ve never
talked about—not with Julius or my previous shrink, not with anyone.» He
hesitated, looked in the eyes of each member. «Just checking out the safety factor
here. This is high–risk stuff. I feel safe with everyone here with the exception of
you, Philip, because I don`t know you well yet. I`m sure Julius has talked to you
about group confidentiality?»
Silence.
«Philip, your silence jams me up. I`m asking you something,” said Stuart,
who turned and faced Philip more directly. «What`s going on? Why don`t you
answer?»
Philip looked up. «I didn`t know an answer was required.»
«I said I was sure that Julius told you about confidentiality, and then I
raised my voice at the end of the sentence. That connotes a question—right? And
also, didn`t the context about trust signify that I needed an answer from you?»
«I understand,” said Philip. «Yes, Julius told me about confidentiality, and,
yes, I made a commitment to honor all the group basic ground rules, including
confidentiality.»
«Good,” said Stuart. «You know, Philip, I`m beginning to change my
mind—I used to think of you as arrogant, but now I`m beginning to think that
you`re just not house–broken or people–broken. And that does not require an
answer—it`s optional.»
«Hey, Stuart—good!» said Tony, smirking. «You`re showing up, man. I
like it.»
Stuart nodded. «I didn`t mean that negatively, Philip, but I`ve got a story to
tell and I need to make sure it`s entirely safe here. So,” he took a deep breath,
«let`s go. About thirteen or fourteen years ago—it was when I was just finishing
my residency and was about to enter practice—I went to a pediatrics convention
in Jamaica. The purpose of such conventions is to keep up with the latest in
medical research, but you know many physicians go for other reasons: to look for
a practice opportunity or an academic job...or just to have a good time and get
laid. I struck out on all counts, and then, to make things worse, my plane back to
Miami was late and I missed my connection to California. I had to spend the night
in the airport hotel and was in a miserable mood.»
There was rapt attention from the group members—this was a new side of
Stuart.
«I checked into the hotel around eleven–thirty at night, took the elevator up
to the seventh floor—funny how clear the details are—and was walking down a
long silent corridor to my room when suddenly a door opened and a distraught,
disheveled woman in a nightgown stepped out into the hallway—attractive, great
body, about ten or fifteen years older than me. She grabbed my arm—her breath
reeked of alcohol—and asked whether I had just seen anyone in the hall.
«вЂNo one, why?` I answered. Then she told me a long, rambling story about
a delivery man who had just swindled her out of six thousand dollars. I suggested
she call the front desk or the police, but she seemed strangely uninterested in
taking any action. Then she motioned me to come into her room. We talked, and I
tried to calm her about her belief—obviously a delusion—that she had been
robbed. One thing led to another, and we soon ended up in bed. I asked several
times whether she wanted me there, whether she wanted me to make love to her.
She did, and we did, and an hour or two later while she was sleeping I went to my
room, got a few hours` sleep, and caught an early morning flight. Just before I got
on the plane I made an anonymous phone call to the hotel telling them that they
had a guest in room seven–twelve who might need medical attention.»
After a few moments of silence, Stuart added, «That`s it.»
«That`sit? ” asked Tony. «A well–soused, good–looking broad invites you
into her hotel room, and you give her what she`s asking for? Man, no way I`d pass
that up.»
«No, that`s notit !» said Stuart. «Itis that I was a physician and someone
sick, someone probably with incipient or full–blown alcoholic hallucinosis,
crossed my path, and I end up screwing her. That`s a violation of the Hippocratic
oath, a grievous offense, and I`ve never forgiven myself for it. I can`t let go of
that evening—it`s seared into my mind.»
«You`re too hard on yourself, Stuart,” said Bonnie. «This woman`s lonely,
in her cups, steps out in the hallway, sees an attractive younger man, and invites
him into her bed. She got just what she wanted, maybe what she needed. Probably
you did her a world of good. She probably considers that a lucky night.»
Others—Gill, Rebecca, Pam—were poised to speak, but Stuart preempted
them: «I appreciate what you guys are saying—I can`t tell you how many times
I`ve said similar things to myself—but I`m really, truly, not asking for
reassurance. What I wanted to do is just tell you about it, take this sordid act out
of so many years of darkness and into the light—that`s enough.»
Bonnie responded, «That`s good. It`s good you told us, Stuart, but this ties
in with something we`ve talked about before: your reluctance to accept help from
us. You`re terrific about giving help, not so good at letting us help you.»
«Maybe just doctor reflexes,” replied Stuart. «I had no med school courses
on being a patient.»
«Don`t you ever get to go off duty?» asked Tony. «I think you were off duty
that night in the Miami hotel. Midnight with a tipsy, horny broad—go for it, man,
get laid, enjoy yourself.»
Stuart shook his head. «A while ago I listened to a tape of the Dalai Lama
speaking to Buddhist teachers. One of them asked him about burnout and whether
they shouldn`t have some regularly scheduled off–duty time. The Dalai Lama`s
reply was priceless: Off duty? The Buddha says, вЂSorry, I`m off duty!` Jesus is
approached by a sufferer and replies, вЂSorry, I`m off duty today!` The Dalai Lama
giggles all the time, but he found this particular idea absolutely hilarious and
couldn`t stop laughing.»
«I`m not buying it,” said Tony. «I think you`re using your M.D. to avoid
life.»
«What I did in that hotel was wrong. No one will ever convince me
otherwise.»
Julius said, «Fourteen years ago and you can`t let it go. What about the
repercussions of this incident?»
«You mean besides self–excoriation and disgust?» said Stuart.
Julius nodded.
«I can tell you that I`ve been a damn good doctor, that I`ve never, not for an
instant, ever again violated the ethics of my profession.»
«Stuart, I decree that you`ve paid your debt,” said Julius. «Case closed.»
«Amen,” echoed several others.
Stuart smiled and crossed himself. «This takes me back to Sunday Mass
during my childhood. I feel like I`ve just come out of the confession booth
absolved.»
«Let me tell you a story,” said Julius. «Years ago in Shanghai I visited a
deserted cathedral. I`m an atheist, but I like visiting religious places—go figure.
Well, I walked around and then sat down in the confession booth, on the priest`s
side, and found myself envying the father confessor. What power he had! I tried
to mouth the words, вЂYou are forgiven, my son, my daughter.` I imagined the
supreme confidence he enjoyed because he believed himself a vessel carrying the
cargo of forgiveness straight from the man upstairs. And how puny my own
techniques seemed in comparison. But later, after leaving the church, I came out
of it by reassuring myself that at least I was living according to principles of
reason and not infantilizing my patients by representing mythology as reality.»
After a short silence, Pam said to Julius, «You know what, Julius?
Something`s changed. You`re different from the way you were before I left.
Telling stories about your life, stating opinions on religious belief, whereas you
always avoided such things in the past. I gather it`s the effect of your illness, but,
nonetheless, I like it. I really like your being more personal.»
Julius nodded. «Thanks. That silence gave me a sinking feeling that I had
offended some religious sensibilities here.»
«Not mine, Julius, if you`re worried about me,” said Stuart. «Those polls
that say that ninety percent of Americans believe in God leave me bewildered. I
left the church in my teens, and if I hadn`t then, I would leave now after what`s
come out about priests and pedophilia.»
«Nor mine,” said Philip. «You and Schopenhauer have something in
common regarding religion. He believed the church leaders exploited man`s
ineradicable need for the metaphysical and that they infantilized the public and
dwelled themselves in a state of perpetual deception by refusing to confess they
had deliberately cloaked their truths in allegory.»
Philip`s comment interested Julius, but, noticing that only a few minutes
remained, he steered the group back to process. «A lot happened today. A lot of
risks were taken. Feelings? Some of you have been very quiet—Pam? Philip?»
«It hasn`t escaped me,” Philip said quickly, «that what has been revealed
here today, what has caused so much needless torment, for me, for others, flows
from the supreme and universal power of sex, which my other therapist,
Schopenhauer, taught me is absolutely inbuilt, or, as we would say today,
hardwired into us.
«I know many of Schopenhauer`s words about this since I`ve often cited
them in lectures. Let me quote a few: вЂ[Sex is] the strongest and most active of all
motives.... It is the ultimate goal of almost all human effort. It...interrupts every
hour the most serious occupations, and sometimes perplexes...the greatest human
minds.` вЂSex does not hesitate to intrude with its trash, and to interfere with...the
investigations of the learned—`”
«Philip, this is important stuff, but, before we stop today, try to speak
aboutyour feelings rather than Schopenhauer`s,” interrupted Julius.
«I`ll try, but let me continue—just one more last sentence: вЂEvery day it
destroys the most valuable relationships. Indeed it robs of all conscience those
who were previously honorable and upright.`” Philip stopped. «That`s what I
wanted to say; I`m finished.»
«Haven`t heard feelings, Philip,” said Tony, grinning at the opportunity to
confront Philip.
Philip nodded. «Just dismay about how we poor mortals, we fellow
sufferers, are such victims of biology that we fill our lives with guilt about natural
acts as Stuart and Rebecca have done. And that we all have the goal of extricating
ourselves from the thralldom of sex.»
After a few moments of the customary silence following one of Philip`s
pronouncements, Stuart turned to Pam: «I`d sure like to hear from you today.
What do you feel about what I`ve laid on the group? You were on my mind when
I thought about confessing here. I`ve been thinking that I`ve put you in a tough
place because in a way you can`t forgive me without also forgiving Philip.»
«I feel as much respect for you as ever, Stuart. And don`t forget that I`m
sensitized to this issue. I was exploited by a doctor—Earl, my soon–to–be ex–husband, was my gynecologist.»
«Exactly,” said Stuart. «That compounds it. «How can you forgive me
without also forgiving both Philip and Earl?»
«Not true, Stuart. You`re a moral person—after listening to you today and
hearing of your remorse, I feel that way even more. And that incident in the
Miami hotel doesn`t grab me—ever readFear of Flying ?»
Seeing Stuart shake his head, Pam went on, «Take a look at the book. Erica
Jong would call what you had a simple вЂzipless fuck`; it was mutual, spontaneous
coupling, you were kind, no one got hurt, you took responsibility to make sure she
was okay afterward. And you`ve used the incident as a moral compass since then.
But Philip? What can one say about a man who models himself after Heidegger
and Schopenhauer? Of all philosophers who ever lived, those were the two who
were the most abject failures as human beings. What Philip did was unforgivable,
predatory, without remorse—”
Bonnie interrupted, «Hold on, Pam, did you notice that when Julius tried to
stop Philip, he absolutely insisted on one more sentence about sex robbing the
person of conscience and destroying relationships. I wonder, wasn`t that
something about remorse? And wasn`t that directed to you?»
«He has something to say? Let him say it to me. I don`t want to hear it from
Schopenhauer.»
«Let me butt in here,” said Rebecca. «I left the last meeting feeling bad for
you and for all of us, including Philip, who, let`s face it, has been pissed on here.
At home I starting thinking of Jesus`s remark about how he who is without sin
should cast the first stone—that`s got a lot to do with what I revealed today.»
«We`ve got to stop,” said Julius, «but, Philip, this is exactly what I was
fishing for when I asked you about your feelings.»
Philip shook his head in puzzlement.
«Have you understood that today you were given a gift by both Rebecca
and Stuart?»
Philip continued to shake his head. «I don`t understand.»
«That`s your homework assignment, Philip. I want you to meditate on the
gifts you were given today.»