I made my bed so I lay in it. The business story that was written as I was about to attend a Zoom webinar on telling stories for business.
I am due to attend a Zoom webinar on telling stories for business. My friend is the guest speaker and has invited me along for moral support.
It starts at 2pm so I figure: “How nice. I can steal away from my desk after lunch. I can curl up on the bed and listen”. Besides the sofa in the lounge is already occupied by another locked-down body. The dining room table is strewn with a vintage racing car jigsaw and the kitchen worktops are sticky with chocolate cake in process.
I prop up the pillows, strip down to my underwear and create a cocoon around me with my duvet. The birds are feeding outside my open window and the horses braying in the neighbour’s field. It’s all rather lovely.
I press the commands ‘join with video’ and ‘use internet audio’ – words that would have meant nothing to me 12 months ago. They’re common parlance today, permitting me access to a private member’s club.
I’m teleported in. But I don’t land in the anonymous webinar as anticipated. No. Mary has landed, duvet first, into the centre of an intimate Zoom meeting with four other men and women who she’s never met before.
My friend is looking at me quizzically while I, bare-armed, bra straps showing, am sitting in the middle of a flower bed of brightly-coloured, hand-painted blooms that constitute my bed linen.
“Hi Mary, welcome. We’ve been introducing ourselves and sharing what we’d like to get from this session. Would you like to go next?”
My mind is a complete and utter blank. I could hardly say: “I’ve just dropped in to have a rest and listen to my friend tell a story since I love being read to.” I haven’t a clue what I said instead. Whatever it was would not have the same professional ring to it with me wrapped in swaddling clothes while the rest are looking on from their desks.
I pat the duvet cover down with my hands, trying to pretend that my laptop is not perched precariously on my knee under it and that it’s sitting on a tablecloth instead. It’s not convincing. It’s obvious where I am. I’ve made my bed so all I can do is lay in it.
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