Below is an excerpt from my quirky and humorous book, Man Interrupted. I am working on the screenplay now.

The taxi pulled in front of the sign that read Within Reach Hospital. It suddenly began to rain. Was that an omen? It dawned on me why you always see a cab pulling up in front of a hospital in those movies about people with emotional problems. The director wanted to symbolize that this was just the beginning of the journey, not the end.

When did my problems really begin? I have thought about that question for years and years. I guess my first anxiety attack came when I was five. Of course back then they didn't call it that. At that time my Father and Mother had just gotten a divorce in Kansas and the court awarded custody of me, my brother and sister, to my Mother.That would have been great, but unfortunately my mother said she wasn't getting enough child support for all of us and kept only my sister.

I still remember vividly them dragging me out of her car as I clung to the seat. I stared at my sister as they drove away toward Minnesota, my mom's home state. A couple years later, living with my dad and step mom number two, I ended up being taken to the emergency room for some imaginary pain in my back. In retrospect that was the beginning of the end that led me here. Why couldn't it have been me instead of my sister? The vision of them driving away haunts me even to this day.

The cabbie got out and pulled my suitcase out of the trunk. He looked like a cabbie. The look of a guy who never slept and whose diet consisted of endless cups of coffee and unfiltered cigarettes. Whose idea of a healthy diet was an occasional fish sandwich at McDonald s. I got out and was debating what kind of tip I should give him, since I'd already given him the fare in advance at the airport. As I turned to look at him, he darted into his cab and drove off. I knew what he was thinking. He was afraid I was a wacko and feared I might do something to him. No wonder he hadn't said a word all the way here. I would be thinking about this way into the night. What can I say? This is the life of a guy with OCD. I grabbed my luggage and opened the front door. "Are you James the new patient?" A tall skinny guy said this to me as he blocked my pathway. I nodded yes. "James you are not allowed to use this door, it's only for staff." He told me to go back around to the front of the house. Of course that was not the greeting I was expecting but at least it took my mind off the cabbie. I stumbled around to the front looking for the entrance when I was pleasantly surprised by this cute blond who popped out of nowhere.

"You must be James O'Bailey. We've been expecting you. Take your luggage and follow me to your room." I grabbed my luggage and walked in, but somehow the blond disappeared. I looked around until I spotted blondie talking to the dude who gave me that great welcoming party. I started to yell out to her but she ran off into another room. I figured this was...