Analysis

"Thank you for coming in today, Mr. Griffith." a beautiful female doctor greeted her incoming patient into her wholly-organized office.

"Good to see you again, Doc." her patient happily returned the gesture, planting himself on the brown office sofa. Meet Hunter Griffth, a long-time security guard with no wife or kids revisiting a trusted outlet for ventilation. His striking hazel eyes firmed hard by rough brows complement the overall gruff image. He also regularly attends the gym for a routine workout every 3 days, explaining his toned form. At 31 years old, he has a bachelor's degree and nothing else related to education. How tragic.

Sitting across from him is Dr. Rebecca Yan, a 29-year-old graduate of Harvard University with a Ph.D. in psychology. The oriental beauty's smooth charcoal hair rolled into a long ponytail, piercing crystal blue eyes hidden behind glasses. Her simple white dress shirt and black business skirt complete the oozing intellectual feel. Contrast that with Griffth wearing an unlabeled red shirt and worn jeans. Suffice to say one has the better wardrobe.

"How have things been since our last visit, Mr. Griffith?" Dr. Yan began.

"Decent," Griffith replied. "Fine. Normal, you can say." Immediately, she noticed a slight tonal shift from before.

"Normal in what way?" she asked him.

"Well, my job has had little activity. That means it's great long as your boss doesn't get any phone calls. Although it also means you're stuck as a pole for an entire day, so....yippee," he slugged back into the couch.

"You don't sound so pleased. Are you thinking about resigning?"

"What, are you kidding me? If I quit now, how will I pay my bills? True, it's a shitty job, but a mans' gotta eat," he said, breathing a sigh. "I admit to thinking about quitting, but never dared to do it."

"Why?" she inquired on that point.

"To be honest, it's the perfect job for me," he admitted. "I get to witness hundreds of people pass by, doing their daily bullshit while my dumbass watches for jackasses. It fits so perfectly that leaving would hurt.....a lot."

"How so?"

"Well...." he trailed off, thinking on the last visit. "You remember what I said about being a bystander, right?"

"A point you defiantly wished not to elaborate on," she noted. "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"Truthfully, I've felt that way since college. I only refused to speak on it last time because my thoughts weren't clear enough. Even if I told you, there'd still be more to unpack.", he gazed into her pupils. "Now after so long, I finally understand."

"Ah....you weren't sure whether the words reflected your heart, yes?" she asked curiously.

"That's one way of putting it," he nodded. "I guess after our previous talks, I needed some time to.....collect myself."

"Completing a puzzle means finding the pieces first. I suppose you have solved the issue, no?" she further inquired.

"When you put it that way, yeah. Things usually become clearer after constant thinking. Plus your sessions helped out a bunch," her face procured a smile.

"I'm glad to know you've taken my words into consideration," Rebecca felt an inner joy knowing another patient learned from her lessons.

"So.....do you wanna hear the story?" he asked her.

"You've built up momentum, now pay it off. Tell me your deepest thoughts," she bluntly urged him further.

Hunter straightened himself up, taking a deep breath for mental stableness. This is where things got personal. "Did you ever feel like.....whatever goes on, you just sit back and watch without moving a muscle?"

"Hmm..." she pondered on the question momentarily. "Sometimes, yes. Most times, it's my job to intervene with intimate issues, particularly ones like yours. Other times, I do sit back and watch, mainly during orchestrated arguments."

"True." he agreed. "But.....did you ever feel pressured to intervene in any situation?"

"You've said it yourself, it's your job."

"I know, but sometimes.....I have this urge to jump on a bandwagon. Yet, when the opportunity arrives, I just stop. Completely." he elaborated.

"Uh-huh." she nodded. "I see. You're talking about the latest trends, aren't you?"

"More than trends, doc." he shook his head. "I've.....become so used to being a bystander, so used to standing afar from the action, that my whole world feels.....closed. Empty."

"What makes you say that?"

"For starters, I have no friends. At least, not around here. Most of them are from high school and gone their separate ways. Some of them have families, new friends, even a few started local businesses. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here working a crappy job for a shitty company with no one beside me. I'm.....just lonely," his heart spilled out.

"Do you keep in touch?" she asked.

"No." he replied. "Sure, I have their numbers, but.....we don't talk anymore. Hell, I don't even use social media for conversation."

"You don't use social media?" that part stuck out to her.

"Never did, never will. Not one account on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever garbage site. I've never been a fan."

"Wow." she felt truly surprised. "You are an expectation amongst the common folk, my friend."

"Come on, I'm not that special."

"Oh, I'm sure others share your sentiments. However, those people are hard to find considering their anonymity." Rebecca smiled. "Can you call yourself lonely after hearing that?"

"I guess not," he admitted. "Just wish I could....speak to them somehow. Strike a real conversation without hashtags or emojis or whatever the kids call it these days."

"You're not very familiar with social media, huh?", she firmly asked.

"I'm an exception like you said." he retorted the earlier statement. "Hell, I don't think those two are the same, right?"

"Not at all."

"Figured as much," he mumbled.

"On the bright side, it's better not to know. Social media has been reported to negatively affect people's lives. I can't tell you how long I've sat here listening to sob stories." Her warning gave him clarity.

"Gee, thanks. Least I know what it does to you." he chuckled a little. "You know.....I'm starting to feel a lot better. Course, after this, I'll go back to my lonely apartment. Still, I appreciate our time here. Maybe down the line, I'll make some friends here."

"I think you already have."

The end