bent down, kicked off his shoes and pointed his feet in their direction. “Yuk,” they screamed together
and, before they had a chance to run, all three passed out—just like Mrs Meow.
“This is great,” thought Jack. He didn’t need to worry about being bullied anymore, but he knew
he had to keep building on his secret weapon.
Arriving home from school one day, he found a strange car in the driveway. The house door was
open. That shouldn’t be; his mom and dad were at work and he should have been the first one home.
Quietly, he snuck inside, peeked around a corner, and saw a robber going through the drawers in his
parents’ bedroom. Cool Jack undid his shoes, pulled off both socks, and crept up behind the robber,
pushing his socks into the robber’s face. The poor guy didn’t stand a chance. He collapsed immedi-
ately. Jack called the police and then his dad.
That night he was on TV. Next morning the newspaper heading read “Jack Socks It to Thief.”
He was the hero!
Jack was pleased he had gone to the school counselor. He now knew what she’d meant when
she’d said, “Find what you are good at and build on it.”
STORY 26
LEARNING NEW TRICKSTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Behavioral problems
■ Seemingly uncontrollable problems
■ Self-doubtResources Developed
■ Learning new skills
■ Discovering capabilities
■ Building self-confidence
■ Tackling problems from a different angle
■ Learning that practicing improves performance
■ Focusing on abilities, not problemsOutcomes Offered
■ Success through practice
■ Confidence in abilities
■ Practical strategies for change
Andy was a boy I knew who felt embarrassed to talk about his problem. You see, he didn’t know
anyone else who wet the bed, or not that they had told him, anyway. It felt uncomfortable to wake
up in a cold, wet bed every morning. He hated having plastic liners on his bed when his sister didn’t.
At times she teased him. He couldn’t sleep over at his friends’ homes when other kids did and was
92 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories