The 20-Minute Appointment
That was all he offered — twenty minutes. Period.
During those twenty minutes you could ask anything.
And he would answer.
He was the smartest man in the world, and everyone knew it.
Twenty-minute appointments was all he offered.
He had an old-fashioned, well-used kitchen timer that would ring when twenty-minutes were up.
If you asked a question at nineteen and a half minutes, he would only answer in the thirty seconds left — and stop in mid-sentence if the timer rang.
You were then dismissed.
He’d take a five-minute break, and then the next client would come in.
He was booked solid for the next eighteen years and counting.
He had the answers — guaranteed or your money cheerfully refunded.
No one ever asked for a refund.
He was that good.
When my appointment day finally came, I rushed into town and waited in his crowded waiting room full of clients ready with their questions.
I had my questions ready.
Finally, my turn came.
His super-efficient secretary ushered me into his office.
He had me to sit in a strait backed wooden chair in front of his small desk.
It was the kind of chair that would be uncomfortable if one sat on it too long.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
“How can I be happy?” I replied.
He looked closely at me, staring deep into my eyes.
It felt as if he was looking into my soul.
“Write your books,” he said “and never stop writing until the day you die. But make sure to have fun while you do it.”
“What should I write about?” I asked.
He smiled and answered, “Write whatever you want.”
Then he continued.
“Write stories, essays, plays, librettos, novels, letters, advertising copy, and anything else that appeals to you.”
“Don’t worry whether anyone will read your stuff.”
“Trust me, they will if you let them know it exists, and why they must read it.”
“Learn to write copy that mesmerizes them and tweaks their curiosity and love of the unexpected.”
“Finally, tickle their soul with your writing.”
I suddenly realized that I didn’t need twenty minutes.
He had answered my most vital question, and I was ready to put his advice into action.
But since there was time left, I asked him if he loved his work and what he did in his spare time.
He seemed genuinely surprised and delighted with my question focused on him.
“Thank you for asking about me. You’re the first person who has ever done so in this office.”
He hesitated for a moment, as if deciding an important issue.
Then he buzzed his secretary and told her to cancel and reschedule all his appointments for the day.
He looked at me and smiled. “OK, my friend, let’s talk!”
When the timer went off, he ignored it.
