Anger Management Workbook

Anger Busting Workbook

Page 95

Anger Management Certification:
Chapter 3 Put a Sock In It

Did you ever see that public service TV commercial produced by the Partnership for a Drug Free America that showed eggs frying in a skillet, with voice-over announcing, "this is your brain on drugs"? The advertising industry has declared this ad campaign to be one of the most influential commercials of all time. And why is that? Because it really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, picture this:

Carter, 46, and Rachel, 42, have made plans to meet friends for dinner at a very nice restaurant this evening. It is supposed to be a celebration of Rachel's promotion at work. She hurries home, spends over an hour bathing and doing her hair and make-up. She has bought an elegant new dress to wear for this special occasion. She is looking forward to the evening.

Meanwhile, Carter is late ... again. Rachel is practically dressed when he walks through the front door. Their reservation is for less than an hour from now, and Carter is clearly not moving fast enough to get them all the way downtown in time to meet their friends. He is still trying to decide what to wear, and mulling over whether or not to take a shower.

Frustrated, Rachel urges him to please hurry. Carter responds that he has been hurrying all day and is not at all inclined to bust his "rear-end" just so they can be on time for a dinner date. At that point, Rachel, in a tone that is unmistakable for its disappointment and anger, replies, "Well, you wouldn't have to be busting your "rear-end' if you had tried harder to get here on time. You knew this night was special to me. Why couldn't you have made it a priority just this once to put work second and me first? Why didn't you plan to leave work on time? Or would it have killed you to even get off a little early just this once?"