Soaking Sunset
Predator Press
[LOBO]
It's bad enough I'm stuck in traffic trying to get Lars Arson to the airport. But it suddenly dawns on me Lars has chosen this moment to give me some professional criticism.
Fuck.
"You think you know everything, don't you?" he asks.
I laugh. "No."
"You need to stop answering me on reflex."
"What does that mean?" Lars and I are pretty comfortable as friends, but occasionally I forget he is one of my bosses.
"I asked you if you knew everything."
"Of course not. But if there's something I need to know, I know how to learn out about it."
Lars pauses. "But how do you know you need to know something?"
Am I being fired?
I think about these questions carefully.
"A circumstance occurs," I says, stalling words by pretending to be preoccupied by unmoving traffic. "And if I find a problem, I'll seek a solution."
"That's reactive," says Lars. "Can you be preventative?"
I'm a little stunned. "I'm not sure."
"I don't think you can."
Trapped.
"I could prevent this conversation by driving into oncoming traffic," I reply, despite the fact that oncoming traffic is stopped, and within arm's reach.
"That's reacting to this conversation," Lars replies.
"So what are you getting at?"
"You're swimming with sharks now," he replies. "Reactive animals don't fare well against sharks."
I'm getting angry, but I don't really understand the implications of what he is saying.
"I've spent three years being beat to a pulp for virtually nothing-"
"Relax," says Lars. "Nobody knows better how much of a life-imploding experience this has been on you. But you showed up."
I really can't tell where this conversation is going, but I am weirdly tearing up. This is just a really, really excruciating way to get fired.
"I've always been pretty prudent about the company," I says. "Am I going to get a decent reference?"
"You were 'prudent' before your divorce," Lars replies. "Now I'm not sure. And I'm retiring soon. I suggested you to replace me."
???
"But I hate flying."
"That," replies Lars, "is a 'reactive' problem."
[LOBO]
It's bad enough I'm stuck in traffic trying to get Lars Arson to the airport. But it suddenly dawns on me Lars has chosen this moment to give me some professional criticism.
Fuck.
"You think you know everything, don't you?" he asks.
I laugh. "No."
"You need to stop answering me on reflex."
"What does that mean?" Lars and I are pretty comfortable as friends, but occasionally I forget he is one of my bosses.
"I asked you if you knew everything."
"Of course not. But if there's something I need to know, I know how to learn out about it."
Lars pauses. "But how do you know you need to know something?"
Am I being fired?
I think about these questions carefully.
"A circumstance occurs," I says, stalling words by pretending to be preoccupied by unmoving traffic. "And if I find a problem, I'll seek a solution."
"That's reactive," says Lars. "Can you be preventative?"
I'm a little stunned. "I'm not sure."
"I don't think you can."
Trapped.
"I could prevent this conversation by driving into oncoming traffic," I reply, despite the fact that oncoming traffic is stopped, and within arm's reach.
"That's reacting to this conversation," Lars replies.
"So what are you getting at?"
"You're swimming with sharks now," he replies. "Reactive animals don't fare well against sharks."
I'm getting angry, but I don't really understand the implications of what he is saying.
"I've spent three years being beat to a pulp for virtually nothing-"
"Relax," says Lars. "Nobody knows better how much of a life-imploding experience this has been on you. But you showed up."
I really can't tell where this conversation is going, but I am weirdly tearing up. This is just a really, really excruciating way to get fired.
"I've always been pretty prudent about the company," I says. "Am I going to get a decent reference?"
"You were 'prudent' before your divorce," Lars replies. "Now I'm not sure. And I'm retiring soon. I suggested you to replace me."
???
"But I hate flying."
"That," replies Lars, "is a 'reactive' problem."
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