Practice in real life

I'm in a life coaching class called MOVE. The class is different than anything I've ever done before because it is so focused on our actions and the real-life application of what we do.

So tonight we were reviewing communication habits and practicing ways to communicate differently. One of the guys showed up without his girlfriend. Which I was glad to see. Don't mean to be unchairitable but she's a serious drama queen, not very bright, completely in the victim role and wants all the attention on her. And she's been getting more disruptive in class as we've learned to stay focused on our goals and the current exercise (thus ignoring her).

So BF is here alone and 10 minutes into class she comes storming in. "I don't want to interrupt class but..." and she gestures for BF to go see her. He doesn't come right away so she flies back and bangs on the window and he gives in and goes to her. Class continues as they (she) screams and argues in the parking lot for about 20 minutes. Apparently she is having a back emergency and needs to go the ER - even though this happened two days ago and she could have gone any time during the day.

He comes back, she interrups again. He gets ready to leave and the class calls him on his actions. She is completely manipulating the situation, creating drama, and he's doing what he's always done, placating.

So he sits back down and as a class we really get into the communication of the situation and try to work out alternatives. We've all been in similar patterns even if not quite so dramatic a fashion so it was a real-time example of what we were trying to learn in class.

In the meantime, she's going ballistic. Through the window I see her driving crazy around the parking lot, flashing her headlights, charging toward the building (!) before throwing on the breaks, blowing the horn - on and on and on.

I'm thinking - good grief woman! If you have to go to the ER, go already!! But this was obviously not about the ER.

So class is discussing and using the principles being illustrated to relate to situations in their own lives and the police show up. This woman is going off so brilliantly that someone calls the cops on her!

So the cops talk to her, talk to the BF, try to get it settled. I felt sorry for the BF. He's trying to change and be a better communicator, she doesn't like it, then he needs to deal with the police. the police get her calmed down and advise him to drive them both home. So he does.

We finish the class with a recap and a flourish.

What a night!