I don’t like being late for anything, though it can happen, when things out of my control happen, and in life a lot of things are out of control. Working for a corporation prior to my retirement in 2008, I made it a point of getting to meetings early and being prepared. Fumbling through papers added unnecessary stress. Legendary Green Bay Packer football coach, said to his team “if you’re on time, you’re late”.
This Naperville city council does a good job at starting meetings on time. The days of dilly-dallying around are in the past. However it appears they could benefit by being more prepared; oftentimes they are futzing around with their devices or fumbling through papers while speakers are talking.
Is was distractingly evident at the last Naperville city council meeting. Watch and listen as Naperville fire chief Mark Puknaitis was presenting a seldom-given Citizen’s Award to two residents (Krysti Reece and Bruce Stedry) for heroism. Note the inattention by council member Brodhead at the beginning of the clip, and then other council members along with the city attorney toward the end of the clip:
Now in all fairness the city officials in the video, it’s very possible that those not seen on the peripheral edges of the dais were even more occupied futzing around with all sorts of things. It’s also very possible that the inattention was due to some sort of late-arriving communication to council members requiring immediate attention that saved all of our lives. But then again, they may have been simply ordering pizza for their after-meeting get-together, getting the Cub-Cincinnati score, checking stock prices, or catching up with their high-school buddies.
If nothing else, at least give a two-second glance at the heroes who saved a life. And yes, the Cubs did win that night.
