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RISK! Podcast
  • Episode: Eureka! (#211)
  • Date:March 08, 2011
  • Time In Episode:00:03:17
  • Download: MP3

"The Lightswitch"

This story was told by Matt Oberg on episode #211: Eureka!

Synopsis

Note: These summaries are designed to help fans find their favorite stories and may contain spoilers!
After reading a short story in his college creative writing class about a man with OCD, Matt has a flash of insight and realizes that he himself showed all the signs of obsessive-compulsive behavior in his youth -- counting rituals, showering rituals, and elaborate positioning of the light switches around his house. He reflects on these behaviors as an attempt to exert control in his life when he felt like there was so much he couldn’t control -- namely the fact that he was a very late bloomer, and that he was terrified of his cat, George, dying. Once he finally went through puberty, and experienced the passing of George, his ritualistic behaviors faded away and he realized he could relax and let go of all that inner tension.
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Themes/Keywords: cat, college, compulsions, control, counselor, counting, death, George, habits, high school, light switch, Live story, mental health, mental illness, New York, NYC, obsessions, OCD, People’s Improv, puberty, rituals, rumination, shower, summer camp, switchplate


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