"Something Happened" - J. Heller

Rashomon, Evanston-style. I never saw the famous Kurosawa movie, one event, four perspectives, but the board meeting on Friday, had definite Rashomon-like resonances. A man walks into a room, there is a long table, men (this is an all-male story) sit in various postures in shiny leather chairs. There's a video monitor, a PowerPoint display (all thought has been shoe-horned into a PowerPoint slideshow - by slide number three, glazed eyes all around). Blue suits, white shirts and dark ties predominate (Sunny Jimmy enters - suited in light brown). The room is cold, every gesture is noted, catalogued, filed later for purposes unknown. The minutes of the meeting will highlight the outlines of the discussion, but will not describe the body language, the heavy silences, the dark and sunny judgements hanging over the room. There are seven players, plus, the guest invited in for inspection. There is a back and forth, questions are raised, answers are given, there is an exchange of energy, and then it's over.

Afterwards, and this is where Kurosawa's movie comes in, there are various interpretations of what actually transpired. Sunny Jimmy comes in like a blazing ball of light, and surprise, surprise, all is sunny. Another guest goes in and out of the room, in a fog; unsure, tentative, confused. One of the key participants (we'll dub him Fearless Leader) is all apocalyptic doom and Dark Ages gloom. Another (let's call him Cool Customer) is cool, calculatedly optimistic. The Big Guy, Mr. T (let's call him Mr. Money) keeps his own counsel. He is the one who can shut it all down or keep the game moving forward. He lets his money do the talking for him. So far, the checks keep cashing.

It's clear, each participant sees the world as he is, not necessarily as 'it' is; the Sunny one circles back, keeps the conversation going trying to suss out what really 'happened.' The players, their profiles are clear, the event (a consensus of the players?) is less so. Might as well turn up the light and blaze away.