My cousin and I were young disc jockeys at a small radio station. We were pretty good and enjoying ourselves. Unfortunately, something my cousin said caused him trouble with management. Since I was there, I as indicted by them for the transgression. As punishment, we were to cut the grass.
The grass was on a small knoll. It was about knee high on what was essentially an overgrown but healthy lawn. Using hand tools, and then electric string trimmers, we cut the grass back, complaining as we did. Chief critical observation by us was how a radio station was using us for yard work as punishment.
Meanwhile, my cats required feeding. I went to feed the three of them. Frantic for food, they encircled me, a caterwauling trio. I had to move some asparagus dip. When I did that, the cats begged me for some. I wasn’t certain if asparagus dip was safe for them but put some on a plate. The young orange one at once jumped on the plate, knocking other things off it. I then decided the dip wasn’t safe for them so I took the plate away, opened some standard cat food, and fed them.
Back with my cousin, he was finishing cutting the grass. I told him to stop because we shouldn’t be doing that. He and I went inside where other people were gathering. My cousin and I decided we were going to quit the station. We then joined some people inside, in a large but cluttered room. They were trying to solve a problem with a water on a roof. The problem was the way the way the water was being routed to be removed from the room. They had three diagrams. Each showed a similar looping design. The people were trying to decide which was the best solution. I took the diagrams from them and compared them to the roof.
“None of these will work,” I said. I pointed out the roof had overhang. The diagrams didn’t take that into account so the proposals were al flawed. I kept having to explain it and show the diagrams to people and compare them to the roof. People suddenly began agreeing with me, telling me, “You’re right. They won’t work.” They wondered how they missed that.
A woman came by and asked if my cousin and I were going to DJ. We looked at each other. I answered, “No, speaking for me, I’m done with that.” She then said, “I have a better offer for you if you want to come with me.” After some back and forth with questions and answers, I realized she was offering me a job as a DJ with a national network. My cousin was welcome to come but they were offering me the position, and they would find something for him. Hearing this, my cousin grew upside and threw a tantrum. The woman said that I should pursue it because it was a great opportunity, and that if I did, I could help my cousin. I reluctantly accepted.
Michael Seidel, writer 