Socotra House is firm and resolute on matters pertaining to public health. We will not waver on the key points of the great national Emergency and all the factors of emergency rule. You can check our phone logs. The locational information stored at Verizon we were nowhere near anything on 06 January. It is available for archived commercial sale, no warrant required. We proudly accept that shaving and careful brushing of hair is no longer a requirement or important conference calls, conducted by some new application you have not seen, have not downloaded, and have no familiarity with hidden button that control the ‘mute function’ or activate the video connection.

It is a recipe for inadvertent embarrassment, as that (former) legal expert on CNN discovered, or the teachers who were caught describing just what they thought about the taxpayers who pay their salaries. I think all of us have taken note of the new pitfalls, and managed gracefully. The ones who didn’t still pop up, pretending to professionally participate while a variety of interesting unmuted events with their children and pets contribute to meaningful exchange of ideas.

I saw one at a meeting yesterday. It was a great call on a subject devoted to historic reconstruction of personnel management in the career ield most of us no longer need to care about. The speaker was a man I respect a great deal and whose insights helped explain other conversations with the people who lived through the changes. It was valuable and useful, and the audience was substantial and informed. The moderators kept things pretty much on track, and displayed their mastery of the conference application by suggesting that all questions, when the time came for them, should be submitted by email for discussion by the Presenter.

As I noted, most of us have learned the ropes of the video call. Some of us are still entangled in them. It can be quite a show. As yesterday’s call reached the portion allocated for questions, we all had the opportunity shared time with a person of strong beliefs. Not willingly, of course, but the breach in protocol was entertaining. It started with deliberation. The “mute” function was apparently found in one of those invisible tool bars that appear only when you do not require them. Once cleared for two-way conversation, the Questioner loudly asserted their respected position in an organization that no longer exists. Then, the voice increased in volume to question why they had not been recognized for specific accomplishment, and went on to specifically besmearch the reputation of someone considerably senior to them. My favorite moment of drama was the plaintive protest that not even the rest room in the great project had been named in their honor, not specifying what sort of rest room was being referred to. That is another factor of confusion in this amazing year, though, and not directly related to the call for justice and reconciliation.

My ears perked up at the cry for justice, long overdue. I appreciated the assertive volume, and the long struggle against impossible and implacable oppression. I wondered how many Happy Hour beverages had contributed to the peroration, since there was a self-righteous component obviously distilled with care and allowed to steep in the rich tannins of time. Very cool.

In just solidarity, I am not brushing my hair this morning. At least not before lunch.

Copyright 2021 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com