158 In'genda: an Invisible Agenda Within an Agenda

"I want to start this meeting," she greeted, "by saying you have absolutely no credibility with me."

"Oh." I stammered, no mid-course correction to offer. "Is the meeting over, then? I thought I had a right to this meeting once an investigation had begun."

"You're right." She was perched expertly on her chair. Expert--in perching. Legs crossed just so; arms folded in obstruction--a bulwark. There would be no meeting at this meeting. "The meeting you've a right to is statutory, legislated, and mandated," she clarified. "So here we are."

"Isn't it supposed to be a meeting of the minds--one professional to another--to come to an understanding?"

"You understand perfectly," she said.

"I don't, though. I know, however, that you decide whether this goes further to disciplinary hearings."

"You're right, again."

"Yet, I don't understand why I have, as you said, 'no credibility' with you."

"And I agree with you."

"No, I don't agree with that! What exactly is the problem here? How do we re-start here in good faith? Isn't that the whole point of this, um, statutory meeting?"

"That's up to me, also."

"I followed all of the rules. I did everything right. I followed the letter of the law. Why am I in trouble?"

"Listen carefully," she whispered for emphasis. "Just because you're following all the rules...don't think you're not in trouble."

"Oh," I replied, realizing I couldn't wrap my rational mind around it. There were things some people--like her, for instance--just didn't want people doing, even though I should be able to, based on their own rules. "Should there be more rules, then?" I asked.

"No, the rules are sufficient."

"Should there be different rules, then?"

"No, the rules are fine."

"Perfectly fine?" I said tersely. "So, this is an agenda. Your agenda."

"If you call our rules and bylaws an agenda, then yes."

"But you can follow the rules and be in trouble."

"I agree with you."

"Stop agreeing with me. I don't agree. It's not the agenda that's after me--it's you! I'm good with agendas. But this is an agenda-within-the-agenda. An agenda-in-an-agenda. An invisible agenda."

"Thank you for your time," she said. "This meeting is now over."

Apparently--statutorily--my education was complete.

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For Thursday, June 6, Dayta 158 of the Story-a-Day Challenge

366 WORDS (without A/N)

Title-accompaniment photo was AI-generated (Artificial Insufferable), but the agenda was redacted.

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There are currently three surviving Vocal writers still participating in the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge:

• L.C. Schäfer, challenge originator

• Rachel Deeming

• Gerard DiLeo (some other guy)

Read them. Support them. And watch them read between the redacted lines, statutorily.