Board Meeting — Angel Investors

 A meeting of my angel investors was held yesterday, November 13, 2020.  This was a specially called meeting, which I requested in order to get some direction on my immediate creative pursuits.  This is the transcript of my presentation. 

Attendees: Kathleen.Caterina – CEO and CCO (Chief Creative Officer)
Lavender – Chairman of the board/lead muse
Olga – Board member at large – dancer from the Imperial Ballet, noted for the trailing chiffon skirts she wears
Ruby – Board member at large – Broadway hoofer from the 1920’s, wears tap shoes and red lipstick
Redmond – Board member at large – representative of Irish culture and folklore, prefers to sit in the back seat of the car but has agreed to come inside for the pandemic but will not change out of his outdoor clothing suited for walking across muddy fields
Josephine – Board member at large – newest member of the board, French 17^th century noblewoman
Missing board members – Olive and Pepper – nature and garden muses who prefer to stay outside
Also present – Frederic Chopin So, let me convene the meeting. 

First item on the agenda is to thank you all so much for attending.  I know you are pretty much always available for me and I do appreciate it. 

Next item – what’s next for me?  What do we collectively want me to turn my attention to next?  I need some guidance here.  The same kind of writing?  Something new?  A new genre?  Poetry?  Prose poems?  More of the short glimmery things that I like?  You all know I really like doing those, just writing on whatever occurs to me, but without some new input it’s hard for me to get going on those things.  I mean I’ve already written two pieces about linen tablecloths. 

You there in the back?  Josephine?  Welcome to the group.  Everyone, this is our newest member.  Please make room for her on the bench.

What’s that, Josephine?  Oh, you have a proxy from Pepper.  Fine.  Yes, I understand he doesn’t want to come inside.  But please ask him if it’s strictly necessary for him to keep inviting all the rabbits into the garden.

Does anyone want to add anything to the agenda? 

Yes, Olga?  Please don’t trip on your skirt, but yes, please come here next to me if you want.  I know you like to whisper right into my ear.

OK, yes.  I agree.  I have not been sitting to do creative writing as much as you would like, as much as I have done in other periods, even earlier in the pandemic.  But I’ve been trying to get some new input into my brain to shake things up a little, to make sure I’m not in a creative rut. 

Oh, come on.  You can’t expect me to believe that playing the piano and listening to lots of different kinds of music is contrary to our mission statement.  After all, it has to be one of you who invited Chopin.  He hasn’t been here since the last time Will was home.  And I do appreciate his help with those nocturnes. 

Well, thanks for understanding how distracting the election and its aftermath have been.  And the continuing concern about social justice.  I think I made it clear when we all got into this that I have no interest in just turning off the lawyer/citizen part of my brain.  And my concerns for the future of this country and everyone who lives here.  And I’m still adjusting to the fact that I don’t need to reserve so much of my energy to brace myself for illogical and harmful political news. 

Moving on, I think we can all agree the tarot cards and meditation classes have been good?  Yes?

What’s that, Ruby?  Do you have something to share with everyone?  Yes, your make-up looks fine.  Put away the mirror.  You don’t like the Zoom meetings?  Well, I don’t either.  Yes, I know they make me look very serious and older.  Humorless, even.  Ok.  But it doesn’t help that you are forever tapping your feet through all the meetings.  We all have to learn to be a little more patient, I think.

Josephine wants to say something.  Thank you, yes.  I’m very pleased that I’ve been able to keep up with my French studies during the long period at home.  I love reading aloud to myself.  And sometimes I just write down words that seem particularly beautiful or noteworthy.  Today I just wrote down “detendue” and “etendue” in my notebook to think about a little more.  Thank you so much for coming to help me with all of that.

What’s that?  Well, what are you here for then?  It seemed pretty clear that’s why are are here.  What else can a 17^th century French noblewoman help me with?

I don’t understand.  How do I need protection from myself?  For myself?  Are you sure you aren’t getting prepositional phrases mixed up?  Stop swishing your skirt.  Explain what you mean.

Oh.

Oh, I see.

Well, you probably have a point.  Yes, I do feel compelled to finish things.  You do know that has gotten me very in far in life, right?  Getting degrees?  Running law offices?  Raising children?

Yes, okay, okay.  All right.

Yes, there are one or two things I can disengage from.

Olga, do you want to share with everyone and not just whisper to Josephine.  Did you two cook this up before the meeting?  No?  I’m not sure I believe that.

So, let me get this straight.  If I stop doing some of the meetings and groups I’m in and use that time and energy to sit down with empty paper and a full pen, you will all work together and come up with my next writing project? It will become obvious to all of us?

Ok.  Do we need a vote?  No?  We’re all agreed?

Thank you all so much for your time today.  Lavender, will you give us a closing prayer?  And then we still stand adjourned.