Princess Introduces Herself

Essay 1:
Princess Introduces Herself 

          Cypress wanted me to introduce him but I declined because Barney can do a better job.  Barney, a philosopher with a down to earth view, has been a special friend and mentor to Cypress for many years but this doesn’t keep him from telling it as he sees it.

          However, I will introduce myself.  I am “Princess” which is the name Cypress gave me the day he told me he was writing a book. I’m a licensed professional counselor, but Cypress is not one of my clients; we are friends, fellow counselors, and whatever else we need to be. He is not likely to become a client because I only accept U.S. dollars and he wants to pay in turnips and possum hides.

          Cypress paid $21.95 for a counseling book, he read a few chapters then threw a fit -- actually he threw the book. Later he recovered the book and gave it to me, so I have a $21.95 conflict of interest.
I said, "Cypress, you paid $21.95 for this book and that's what you should charge for yours."

          "Nah, my friends at Burger King are thrifty and won’t pay that much.”
         He has read dozens of counseling books but threw this one because he has this weird idea that if people pay $100.00 twice a month to a psychiatrist  they are supposed to get better.  I agree, but I don’t throw books or fits.

          He doesn’t expect me to respond to his frog kissing letters. I’d love to answer all of them but my life has been extremely busy.  I have recently finished five years of university training followed by a one-year internship, and I’m just getting started as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

          His therapy is in writing the letters and not in my replies; I do answer some of them, I suppose it is the counselor in me.