Are We On?

I had something quite odd happen to me tonight.

I work part time as a video technician for an unnamed Minneapolis suburb, referred to as Springfield from here on out. I went to the City Hall tonight to broadcast the City Council meeting according to schedule. I arrive my usual hour prior to meeting time. I prep the show. Soon it is 7:05. Normally, there would be all the councilmen/women in the lectern area at this time. The rare and few audience members show up by 7:30.

The chambers are empty.

The cable station is scheduled to cut to us at 7:30 pm. I call the available phone numbers of people that work in City Hall where I am. The contact numbers are all for offices in the building...where I am. I wait, hoping the cable channel has information I don't have and will not cut to me at 7:30. I have a still projected that states: Springfield's City Council. I am now watching the feed to see if the cable company cuts to it. They do.

Thoughts run through my mind...

The city owns this time. Hardly anyone watches this stuff. There is a reason the city makes it. Public record. This is the public record along with the audio tapes which I also make. I could have framed, stated and broadcasted anything I wanted for two hours of live television feed.

I could have been sitting in the Mayor's chair decreeing whatever I decided upon:

"Bigamy is now legal in Springfield"
"Trees are people now in Springfield"
"Fireworks are not only legal but mandatory in Springfield from every household at 10:10 pm every night to signify that you are so American you celebrate the 4th of July nightly!"
"Cigarette butts now have a nickel refund to be funded by the tobacco companies." **
"All abortions are now legal. In fact, Springfield is declared pro-death. Kill any baby you see."
"Fur is now legally declared murder. Thanks for voting!"

The mayor (who is a great man) had ran unopposed last week. Right after an election would have been the perfect time to declare myself mayor to Springfield's community television demographic.

I call the cable station again. I talk to a real nice girl that tells me they have the same information I do. She resumes the normal community broadcast schedule. In the end, I did not do what I wanted to. Know what that says?

I am a team player that doesn't want to lose the job that makes said player cash money to be a part of said team.

I have learned from my going on seven years of my thrilling corporate retail television career. Let's chalk that up to something.