Show and Tell is Next

One morning I noticed a new young woman sitting around the table. I say "young" as in probably no older that 18 or 19, with her left armed tattooed from her elbow to her shoulder, and an earring in her nose. I could not tell if her frayed blue jeans were truly worn or the designer ones that cost $100's. Her brown hair was a bit unkept and her t-shirt had "Weed Love to Have Some" written in block letters. (This description is not any judgement of her or her dress, I just wanted to give a picture of her. I am in no place to judge.)

Before I sat down next to her, I said, "Good morning." She replied something I could not understand. I just smiled, sat down, opened my drink, and pulled out my journal. I thought to myself - Another day - what would it bring?

Another young lady, Joy, came in and exclaimed, "Marnie, you are here!"

The girl sitting next to me, answered with little enthusiasm, "Yeah, here I am, great."

Joy rolled her eyes, "Tell me about it."

"How long have you been here?" Marnie asked in a voice that lacked enthusiasm. 

"About a two weeks."

Marnie picked up the journal she obviously been issued by the center. (If you did not have your own, they issued you a generic notebook.) "And, what the f____ is this for?"

Joy said, "That is your journal. We all have one. We are supposed to spend the first hour writing our thoughts in it."

"You gotta be kidding me. Like I want to do that."

"Well, you can write anything and no one sees it but you."

Marnie just sat there and looked around the room at everyone else writing (or drawing) in their journals. For a while she didn't even touch it. Finally she pulled out a pen and opened the journal. 

Olivia, who had been watching all this, quietly said, "Honey, it's hard to start but I promise once you do, it will not be so hard."

Marnie, in a very sarcastic voice, asked, "What's next? Arts and crafts?"

John smiled, "No, we do not get to that until after lunch. Next we have Show and Tell, they did tell you to bring something, didn't they?" 

Everyone short of Marnie, quietly laughed. There were words of welcome and encouragement to her from some of the others.

She just leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and said,
"This place is insane."

Ruth laughed, "No honey, this place is here to help you. We are the ones insane."