My Turn

Maybe he was only 100 years old, that’s far less than the 125 years. Rule number two was very important, that’s why it was called rule number two. It also had to be followed. I wonder who checked his age. Heck, I wonder if anyone checked his age. Maybe I should make a formal challenge based on his age. All I would have to do is step forward and say, "Hey, just how old are you anyway? You know you have to be at least 125 years old to be up there speaking!" But what if I were wrong. What if the speaker were older than 125 years, what would be the penalty? If there was anything he learned in life, it was that there was a penalty to everything. In fact, that’s how it all started. That’s why things are as they are now. Some fifty or sixth years ago, an incident occurred that caused a penalty to be accessed against mankind. And now the whole world has to live with that penalty. That’s why it’s so important that he be allowed to speak. If he didn’t speak, then his peers would never hear what needed to be said, and they would be prone to make the same mistake again. Maybe this time, instead of a minor penalty, everything would be destroyed.

He couldn’t remember the penalty for interrupting the speaker to ask how old he was. Maybe there was no penalty. Maybe if you were wrong you just said, "I’m sorry" or "excuse me, but at my age, you do make mistakes." But what if there was a penalty, and the penalty was you couldn’t speak when it was your turn. He couldn’t chance it, what he had to say was way too important. He had been waiting there way to long to take a chance like that. Maybe he just needed to practice a little patience. It will be my turn next, and what I have to say is very important, so I can wait.

All of a sudden it went quiet at the speakers circle. He looked over at the speaker and noticed that he had stopped talking. Now it had to be his turn. All the speaker had to do was step down from the speakers circle. Well, what was he waiting for? The speaker’s circle was only about three feet in diameter. All he had to do was take one small step, in any direction, and it would be his turn. Oh no, the speakers head was tilted forward and his face was looking at the ground. And it looked as if his eyes were shut. What if the speaker fell asleep during his talk? Or what if, God forbid, he just passed away? Yes, what if while standing there he had a heart attack or something like that, but didn’t fall over dead. Was there a rule about dieing on the speakers podium standing up? He wasn’t aware of anything like this. Maybe now was a good time to say something like, "what was it you said? I’m afraid I missed your point." But, maybe that would be interpreted as an interrupt and he would have to forfeit his turn as a penalty. Nope, he couldn’t take the chance. But the young lady he had been talking with. Maybe he could ask her to do it.

"Excuse me," he said while taping her on the shoulder. When she turned around he continued. "As I told you earlier, it’s my turn next. But I can’t go on next if the current speaker is standing there dead.