#opprotunities

Best Events to Hire Live Music For

We all know the impact that music makes in our lives. The right song can create the perfect vibe to start your morning, create the right atmosphere for a romantic dinner, or make that long drive a little more tolerable. Of course, the best way to experience music is live, right up close and person. Whether that be a live band or even a DJ, music adds an extra sense of excitement and interest to…

Dip.  Splash.  It was all too fun, painting to learn from the old masters.  Reuben was today's teacher. "Ring," went the phone in an amusingly outdated chiming.  Christa caught the phone on the first ring.  She was a lover of the old, the stuffy, the outdated, pretentious and pre-modern, and therefore loved her ring tone.  It was rude to leave a phone ringing, though.  Naturally, she answered with "Salutations," instead of the words that her friends and family and strangers were accustomed.  Accordingly, the voice on the other end paused just long enough for its owner to confirm that he indeed knew the meaning of the word.  After the pause, he voice asked, "Yes, is Ms. Walker available?" "She speaks." Another pause.  "Yes, Ms. Walker, I'm Lucious Aluf.  I"m a Human Resource Manager for Clermont Appliances.  I've just reviewed your application.  Are you free for an interview this Monday at 1?" "AM or PM?" Yet again a pause.  "PM." Two days passed and Christa sat in a less-than-comfortable chair in an off-white hallway with a secretary in non-descript, very-secretary clothes in a professional, stylish, short hair cut.  Christa quietly tapped her left converse to the rhythm of "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight." She heard the indescribably normal secretary call her name.  She stepped up to the desk and was ushered into an office with a shelf of seemingly untouched boooks on employee relations and management styles.  Above the sort shelf was a diploma from some university.  On the right was a desk with paper weights and decorations of assorted size but of little variety, as well as a mat, telephone, and computer. Behind it was a gaunt man of some five feet, nine inches, brown hair, and white, tanned skin.  He smiled with a broad, fox-like grin that suggested he was privy to more than a manager of a small electronics store possibly could be.  He greeted Christa by rising, shaking her hand, and saying "Hello Ms. Walker.  I'm Lucius." "A pleasure meeting, Mr. Aluf." His smile shrunk as his eyes betrayed confusion.  But only for a second.  Promptly, his smile returned, larger than ever. "Please, have a seat." The rest of the twenty inutes proceeding cordially and pleasantly.  Christa eventually got to ask her own questions.  These consisted of inquiries about policy towards replacing floor tiles and how the store treated protestors of Taiwanese goods.  She was assured, after a moment's hesitation, that neither was a matter of concern for the establishment.

Despite eight pauses in response to Christa's answers and questions, the phone rang again.  It rang twice before Christa caught it and was offfered a job as a sales associate. A week passed and she began her first day; fully trained and prepared for customers who had picked their model and brand half a month prior and uninitiated customers and irritable customers and happy customers, and especially clueless customers.  Those were the ones she could make real commission on, the brown haired co-worker with the name Christa couldn't remember had advised. Her third sale of the day went about as poorly as the snickering coffee gossips in the employee lounge had expected all of hers to.  Two phrases and a loyal patron was convinced she was crazy.  Another day of training solved the problem.  The answers to questions stopped being "I trust," and "Not so," and became far more comfortable and familiar for customers, who were of course always right. The answers became yes and no and sometimes "Let me get my manager."  Still very polite and friendly and smart but without the active personalization that drove away commission--she had to pay her bills, after all.

The past several months have been about missed opportunities, and the consequences of not taking advantage of those gateways. There have been so many chances for me to step in, but I don't. So many things I could have prevented, but didn't because I was scared. Everything could have been different, maybe I could have changed the direction of the flow of time and fate's destiny along with it.