They Were Really Listening

I STARTED KICKING myself about a week before. Why had I ever volunteered to speak at that meeting? It was too early, starting at 6:15 PM instead of the more usual 8:30. It was across town, meaning I had to change subways and walk five blocks. I wasn't working, and that was depressing, so how could I be expected to come up with anything that wasn't at least as depressing? The last time I'd been there, a scant ten or twelve people showed up, and I had to fill in a lot of long silences when no one spoke up. And I knew perfectly well that if a speaker didn't show up, the meeting would go on without him, one way or another.