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May 9, 2017
The Hummingbirds in the Jacaranda Trees
In the morning, I wake up in Riverside, and ride my bike into Pomona. It's a 45 minute ride, lanesplitting much of the time. It's not safe, by any stretch of the imagination. It's suicidal, basically. Like...a suidal run across the Los Angeles basin to save spending $100 a night to stay at the very location I'm working at. Not a smart move.
As soon as I get onto Highway 60, a guy comes by me on a bike lane-splitting. So, I follow him. in theory, it's safer to follow another cyclist, as he sort of prepares the way for you. Cars are more observant of their mirrors once a bike comes by them lanesplitting.
But, the corrolary to this general rule is that, if the guy you're following has a death wish, then it's much more dangerous to keep up with him than to just ride on your own.
So, this is where we are. This guy is screaming down the imaginary corridor that divides the traffic lanes. And I'm trying to keep up with him. I'm not sure how much longer I'll live doing this. My guess is, not long.
But this is where we are.
Dancing like hummingbirds in the jacaranda trees.
Somehow, I make it into work. I'm getting ready for my presentation at 10:00 a.m. I get into work at about 8:15 a.m. So, I sit down and start putting together my presentation. Updating it. Reviewing it.
I ought to be familiar with it, but I'm not. I created it yesterday. But it's like I'm reading someone else's presentation. I can follow it, but I can't really predict the next screen or anything. So, I'm editing it. Updating it. Getting ready for my presentation. Very nervous, of course.
Right before it's time to do the presentation, the internet connection breaks.
"It's OK. Send me the presentation," Asok says.
"I can't send you the fucking presentation. It's in the cloud." Like...this is what I hate. I don't trust technology. Anyone that does is an idiot, a fool, or worse.
Asok has a copy of my presentation that I emailed to him last week. Somehow, he's connected to the internet. He shares my presentation, as I walk through it, screen by screen.
No one talks. No one asks questions. Nothing but the drone of hummingbirds darting among the roses outside on the veranda.
After the presentation, I walk outside and stroll around the grounds of the campus.
They've been playing this game with me for some time. Ben does this. And Ben does that. Why can't you be more like Ben?
My presentation was supposedly my chance to demonstrate to them that I could grasp the ring and be the budget guy. That I'd finally understand how the budget system works, and be able to explain it to the unwashed heathen masses.
But no one listened. No one cared. Everyone looked like they'd overdosed on heroin. I could have presented on syphilis, no one would have noticed. Slowly, it dawns on me...the people I'm presenting to aren't even here. Like, whoever is in charge of budgeting certainly wasn't in my presentation. How could they have been? They would have asked questions.
I try to put it behind me. The meeting is over, afterall.
I stroll around the grounds admiring the stunning Jacaranda trees. Whats so funny is that, the Jacaranda trees were always here, but I didn't even notice it until they bloomed. Now, I'm blown away. Flowers. Hummingbirds. Jacaranda trees. I'm just strolling around the grounds wondering who dialed all of this in? I mean, It was Kellog, of course. But I wonder how much he did, versus what the school did. This insanely dreamy campus.
My contract is up at the end of next month. And I don't know if I'll get extended or not. The truth is that don't really care. It doesn't really matter to me. For a beif moment, I allow myself to let it go.
I've done everything they asked me to. If they extend me, great. If not, that's OK too. Either way, I'm going to be ok.
Posted by Rob Kiser on May 9, 2017 at 12:20 PM
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