The Original Classic: Overcoming Fears from Childhood

I’ve been afraid of something hiding under my bed at night since I was a young child. I made the decision to get help because I was terrified of an enigmatic presence in the dark. I confided completely in a psychiatrist.

I’m positive that someone is hiding underneath. I admitted, “I’m afraid—I think I’m going crazy.”

Put yourself in my hands for a year, the psychiatrist said, smiling reassuringly. We should be able to overcome those fears if you come talk to me three times a week.

“All right,” I said, “but what is your fee?”

“Each visit costs $80,” he replied.

After giving it some thought, I said, “I’ll sleep on it and get back to you if necessary.”

I happened to run into the psychiatrist on the street six months later. “Why didn’t you come see me about those fears you were having?” he inquired.

“Well, $80 a visit three times a week for a year is a terrible amount of money,” I retorted. I was cured for $10 by a bartender. I went to buy a new SUV because I was so thrilled to have saved so much money.

“And how, may I ask, did a bartender cure you?” he said, a little sour.

“He told me to cut the legs off the bed—ain’t nobody under there now!” I smiled.

This joke serves as a reminder that sometimes the solutions we come up with can be just as ridiculous as they are practical, and it perfectly encapsulates the essence of confronting our fears with a humorous twist.