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AOP's PTM's and Strange Dreams before/after Strange dream last night. I usually analyze my stuff right away, or don't really think about it, as I have many different theories and thoughts that link dreams in sleep to the subconcious, to the collective subconcious and so on. I dreamt of one of my former kids. A client. I counseled him I'll call him Bob. Bob was a small hispanic kid, difficult with many issues. Shrewd but not smart, he wanted to be a lawyer. One time I loaned him some of my books, and for a couple of weeks he sat around and pretended to read them. He was a criminal, and came from a family of criminals. There are a few sad things one will see in ones life if they hang around long enough. One of those happens to be an incarcerated kid getting a letter from his incarcerated dad. When I was with Bob, and he was in my group, Bob would shine. I could talk to Bob, patch him up, and get him to grow. Much like getting a sick animal and nurturing it, or repotting a plant and giving it some light. It was something you could see. But Bob wasn't with me for very long, in two separate stints. He struggled mightly when I wasn't with him, but this is allright, really. Its not like I would be there for his whole life, and I am not one to create permanent invalids. If he really truly listened to me, he learned to walk on his own. But he did listen to me quite carefully. Incredibly loyal and sharp as a tack. He was one of the first to respond to the first circle up I called. (Indeed. Resedential Treament Center lingo. Circle up. Wherein every member of my group immediately drops whatever they are doing, and stands six inches away from an Acting Out Person. (Use your imagination there), They stand in a circle, covering their genetalia, and the AOP cannot move, or they will be Restrained. A restraint happens when a counselor orders it, one kid grabs the head, and the rest divvy up the limbs, the AOP is elevated, and usually brought down to the ground slowly and without problem. Then the members sit on the AOP's legs, brace and hold the arms, while one holds the head until the AOP is ready to make his 'commitment', to me. He is then brought back to the Circle Up, makes his 'commitment' again, and the incident is processed in several different manners, depending on the therapist. This is all a part of the PTM, or Progressive Teaching Model, and is a sight to behold. All kinds of dynamics at work. I could talk awhile about this, perhaps another time.) It was a humid day, and Dejuan was acting up. Moody kid, he was rather large, and fancied himself the bull moose of the group. He started acting crazy, and throwing stuff. Dejuan:"Don't nobody come near me." Argentum:(languidly)"What?" Dejuan:"All I'm sayin' is, betta' no one come near me. Or they's gone get it. Rough." His fists were clenched. His eyes were wild. Respiration elevated, sweating. Someone was about to get hit. Argentum:"Dejuan...what if I came near you?" D:"Well, then come and see. You gone get it, too. Oh well." A:(calmly, but very loud, authoritarian.)"Circle up Dejuan." And only three kids responded. We only had five or six to begin with, and three were clearly scared of Dejuan, being much smaller than he, and really cowards. (Only time that has ever happend to me. I commanded deep unabiding loyalty. This was two months onto the job. I was mythical by the time I left.) And Bob was the head man. He rushed right in without an moments hesitation, stood six inches away, and covered his genetalia, completly vulnerable, especially since he hardly had any help. Part of what sometimes slows an AOP down, at times, that is, is sheer numbers. No room to move. And as two other rushed over to comply, Dejuan moved aggressively, and my fellow counselor called out, "Restrain Him!!!" Dejuan cocked his arm back, and took dead aim on Bob's chin. All I could picture was this kid, who was so loyal to me, who was the proverbial perked up repotted plant, getting blasted in the face by this whacko. So I did something that became legend and lore at the center amongst the kids that I worked with. I pounced like a motherfucker. I reached in with one arm, caught the cocked arm, and with the other, using leverage, I pulled him out of the circle up, twisted him in mid air, and flopped him onto the ground, falling on top of him, and pinning him down with my weight. The look on Dejuan's face was utter shock. His arms went straight out, and he complied with the restraint. I was well within my rights, although this was an extreme manuver. In matters where blood is going to clearly be shed, one is covered. The kids got down and restrained Dejuan, and the look on their face was undeniable surprise. "Damn" one said and he sat on a leg. "Mr. Argentum," Bob said later, "You called circle-up, and I heard your voice, and I just WENT, you know? And then I saw Dejuan gettin' set to hit me, and I said, 'uh-oh', but you know, its not like I ain't never been hit before, but that would've just not been fun, you know? And I wanted to say thanks." When I finally left the feild, Bob was really struggling. He needed to be repotted. I think he didn't want to leave. Anyway, last night, I had a dream where Bob had one of those industrial nail guns. "I'm gonna' do it!" he said, "I'm gonna do it!" "Bob," I said, "You're not going to do it. Don't do it." And then he shot a nail inbetween my knee and my knee cap. "You didn't think I was going to do that to myself, did you?" he said. Then he did it again. Same knee. No fuckin' idea what it means.
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