7 PM Meeting Blues

Here I am on campus in the midst of pollen season. Its 'bout 5 PM, waiting for a meeting that doesn't start till 7. I thought I was going to be in a study group between now and then. Yesterday, she cancelled on me. I understand though, she's going to a concert for her buddy. That just means that I have a lot of time to kill. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue. Being the oldest of 8, you get used to entertaining yourself, strange as that might sound. But lucky me caught my uncle's cold that he was nice enough to share. Now I'm waiting here till 7 PM, feeling like death warmed over, hoping I will either die or that the world will simply dissolve around me and I'll wake up warm and snug in my bed, realizing that this was all just a bad dream.

This organization though, its been pretty much one constant headache since the day I joined. Little excited me wanted to be an executive board member. I never had any experience as such, but hey, you got to start somewhere, right? The guy I ran against, we went to high school together. Never kept in touch though. He was definitely much more qualified than I was, but had the social skills of a moss covered rock, ya know what I mean? Either way, I got the gig based on the interview, and the gig was to last one year. Let me tell you just how this year went.

One e-board member drops within the first month. Never hear from her after induction. Poof. Gone like dust in the wind, baby. She was PR. The President, however, was a total douchebag. I can understand weird shit happening and having to leave. I also understand simply vanishing once you got the gig. I hate it when it happens, but its expected in some places. The this guy, the President, was a piece of work. Let me tell you about this little bastard.

He was a likeable guy, not gonna lie about that. Smooth talking, good looking, seemed like he knew where he was going. Worked part time as a model, which I initially thought was odd, but he was all around a decent fella. Well, turns out that Mr. Big Stuff had a bit of an ego. Started signing all of his emails and texts 'Your President, Mr. Smith' (names changed to protect the assholes). Wanted to run the organization centered around him, which pissed us all off.

Our poor VP, she was about as ineffectual as they come in confrontational issues. I mean, don't get me wrong, she's a really great person, although the only time she's ever talked to me in the past year has been in the context of one organization or another. Chick is organized and intelligent. Keeps her thoughts in order and presents herself well. She always has a gameplan. Not to mention, she's a total hottie. But her problem is that I doubt if she has ever had to confront anybody. I'm sure she's had her spats, but I'm not talking about no high school bad mouthing. Girl grew up as a single child with money and parents of a protective nature. That alone should say plenty. Believe you me, I could go on about this girl, but this isn't about her.

So, el presi-douchbag starts getting too big for his britches trying to micromanage us. Plans meetings around his convenience giving us maybe a day's notice at best, then showing up unprepared with next to no plan as to what he wants done. He expected all his shit to just magically fall into place, and us to put it all together. Fast forward a few months and we're already pissed as all hell with this guy. Then we send him to Sol-Cal for some leadership conference. He comes back feeling more important than ever. He starts talkin' 'bout how we needs to get more organized, more prepared 'n shit. Says he's going to take care of organizing the next general meeting by his lonesome. Fine enough so far as I'm concerned. I was about over with this crowd by that time anyway.

Day of the meeting comes and goes, and guess what never happens?

Next couple of weeks roll by, and guess who decides to go AWAL?

You guessed it. El Presi-Douchbag himself. We send him to Cali-weird, and he bails. Guess who was left in charge. Remember the VP I told you about? Yeah. Let me shoot myself now.

Well, that was a few months ago. Earlier last March, we had interviews for the new e-board. When we were done, we had a stellar cast. The VP was gonna stay on till the end of next fall so they get that momentum we wish we had. Guess who else stayed on against his will? You got it. Ol' Coyote himself. But hey, what can you do? It could be worse. I do my best to give them what advice I can, and they seem to like me well enough. That isn't to say I would call a one of these folk my friends, but they're friendly enough to tolerate. But with it so close to finals, having to commute from outside the perimeter, and feeling like total hell today, lets just say I'm not in the best of moods waiting for a meeting that is now an hour away.

I guess I'll just keep singing those 7 PM Meeting Blues.

After all, its a Robert Johnson kind of night anyway.