“The greatest Jewish tradition is to laugh. The cornerstone of Jewish survival has always been to find humor in life and in ourselves.”
—Jerry Seinfeld

At times like these, a little laughter goes a long way. For one JF&CS client, the classic sitcom “Seinfeld” provided the perfect outlet for his anxiety and creativity.

A few weeks ago, our client was working through a lot of difficult emotions surrounding the pandemic, but he wasn’t comfortable sharing these feelings with others. The client receives services from our Clinical Case Management program, which provides coaching and support for adults with disabilities. Since the client is very creative, his case managers, Hanna Homan and Tedra Halzel, suggested that he try expressing himself through role-playing and writing.

The client loved the idea and decided to draft a quarantine-themed conversation between Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza, two characters on his favorite show, “Seinfeld.” While writing the scene, the client was able to open up to his case managers about his concerns related to COVID-19 and discuss strategies for coping with them.

“Working with the client on identifying his feelings through the script was amazing to watch,” said Hanna. “I look forward to continuing to encourage him to use scriptwriting to express his emotions. He is a very talented person, and I am so happy we can highlight his story!”

And now, without further ado, we present the client’s original “Seinfeld” script!

“The Quarantine”: A “Seinfeld” Story

Jerry: Hello! [Jerry notices that George hasn’t said a word.] Is something bothering you?

George: Take a wild guess!

Jerry: Did you have another argument with Elaine again?

George: Yes, I had another argument with Elaine. OF COURSE I DIDN’T!!!

Jerry: Then what’s really bothering you?

George: The truth is—I’m nervous.

Jerry: Nervous about what?

George: I’ll tell you…as long as you don’t mention this to anyone we know.

Jerry: I’m all ears.

George: I’m nervous about the coronavirus. There, I said it!

Jerry: Yeah…you know what? I am too.

George: If this virus keeps up, I might as well quit my job and start turkey farming!

Jerry: I know you have a reason to be worried about the coronavirus, but you can’t let that ruin your life!

George: Then how do you deal with nervousness?

Jerry: Since you asked, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The trick is to take your mind off of the coronavirus by thinking of something completely different. That way, you won’t stay nervous as long.

George: So, you think of something completely different.

Jerry: Yep.

George: Like what?

Jerry: Well, I dunno. If a book about failure doesn’t sell…is it a success?

End.

The clinical case managers at JF&CS are experienced clinicians who work with adults with autism spectrum disorder, mental illness and other disabilities to overcome challenges and pursue their personal goals. Find out more here.

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