Sunday, June 01, 2008

Sheer insensitivity.

I was at a meeting, and they were taking time out to remember someone who passed away. One of the guys started reading from a poem which he felt described the deceased well. This was Invictus, and it's a beautiful piece. "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." How many people can say that? I wish I could.

So anyway, he's reading halfway, and someone starts making a commotion off to one side, and makes a hullaballoo that there was no interpretation. Cuts off the speaker entirely, and the speaker just stops.

Turns out the interpreters stopped because, you know, it's poetry. And not a prepared statement so it's not easy to translate. And I'm like pissed, because like, isn't that a totally totally insensitive thing to do? I mean, given the solemnity of the situation, just shut up and act sincere, why don't you?

No comments: