Excerpts - The Mrs. Roach Story

Excerpt from Consciousness, Health, Wealth and Love
[brackets have been added for clarification]

[All of us have experienced someone who is constantly complaining. If we've been doing the Work of self-knowing, we may have even observed the "self" doing the complaining. We often just complain without even knowing what we want to replace the situation with or ever looking at what we can do about the situation. We are asleep and not aware of it. This story centers around "the complainer".]

The story starts out with a statement from the audience.

(I get in a state where I just think everything's great and I get vitally interested; but gosh, I get worn out.)

Dr. Bob says: Right, when can I get back to my complaining. One time there was a dear lady came to see me and complained and complained and complained. She never quit. I knew her for several years and finally she was complaining one day and I said, "Mrs. Roach, would like to be really well?" She said, "Absolutely."

I said, "Will you do what I tell you to?" She said, "I will do it." I said, "Will you really promise that you'll do it?" She said, "Yes."

So I told her what to do. She was to not complain about anything, about the irrigation pump a mile away which kept her awake at night, about any of her daughter-in-laws that didn't do things like they should do and all these things, and she couldn't gossip about the neighbors, and she was to say something nice about everything that came along. She said she'd do it!

I didn't hear from Mrs. Roach for almost 10 days which was most unusual cause I used to hear from her once every day, usually two and three times with her many complaints.

She called up at the end of about 10 days and said, "Dr. Bob." I said, "Yes." She said, "This is Mrs. Roach." I said, "Yes, how are you?" She said, "I feel wonderful." "I've never felt better in my life, but how long do I have to keep this damn foolishness up?"

So she went back to doing her usual thing. She had more joy out of complaining about her daughter-in-laws, and the neighbors and about the way the world was running then she did about feeling good. But now she DID know that she could feel good anytime she wanted to-she did learn that much. So if she got tired of being sick, she'd feel good for a few days and then she liked to go back to her lower levels of consciousness and proceed along there quite well. She enjoyed it a bit; and I think certain number of people do-especially the ones that get down to the apathy bit of self pity. I think it is one of the more addicting states of being there is. Ever try that one on for size, Katy?

(I don't want to be there no more!)

No more, you've had it. Thank goodness. I've seen a few people I thought never did want to give it up, did they Dorothy?