Looking through the window I can see a dark, overcast day in
May. Typical British weather! You can barely see through the glass because it
is obscured with fat, glistening raindrops. Every so often the sun will appear as
if by magic, temporarily transforming the raindrops into brilliant
kaleidoscopes of colour. Just as suddenly, it disappears, to be replaced by
black clouds that proceed to pour forth more heavy moisture onto the soaking
pavements and sodden gardens in our town.
My attention returns to the room in which I sit. I am an
observer. The people in this room are far too important to notice me, perched
high up on the wall. I found a comfortable seat on top of a picture. It is a
standard office decoration, a framed certificate for some obscure qualification
received by the company. What do they do again? Ah, yes, they offer
professional writing services to the UK and
beyond. From this office building the bosses spin a web all around the world,
via the Internet, gathering together a top team of freelance writers to provide
high quality content for their clients. The energy is fast paced, making the
most of an emerging market primed for development.
“Alright then, people,” announces a man dressed in black
suit trousers and a grey pinstripe dress shirt with no tie. He looks fairly
young, maybe around 35, and he has black hair and dark eyes, with a complexion
that is tanned, suggesting that he has been either on a tropical holiday
recently, or he enjoys tanning salons in his spare time.
“Let’s get down to business,” says the man, sitting down at
the head of a highly polished wooden table. He sets down a white mug of coffee
just collected from the pot on a side table near the door. The rich aroma wafts
around the boardroom, warm and comforting. There are three other people in the
room with him; two women and one man. They all look of a similar age, mid to
late thirties, all dressed in a kind of contemporary office uniform: not quite
formal but still smart and well presented. The table is strewn with notepads,
Ipads, mobile phones and a couple of folders containing documents necessary for
the meeting.
“We need a tagline,” the boss informs his staff members,
“Something edgy, sharp, and effective that will tell people exactly what we are
about here at Wait.”
Everyone nods and murmurs their agreement. Apparently they
already have some ideas to present. One of the women clears her throat and
begins the discussion.
“How about this?” she says, “We offer quick, concise and top
quality content writing for your website, business documents and professional
portfolio.”
The man pulls a face while the other occupants of the room
nod and wait for his reaction. He nods his head very slightly, not quite ready
to offer praise, but not totally disappointed with the woman’s efforts.
“Good,” he says, “But I’m sure we can do better. What do we
stand for as a company? What is it that we present to our clients? Quality,
yes. Professionalism. Swift, reliable and efficient return on projects. Close
attention to detail, and a deep knowledge of SEO, web content writing and copy
editing for all business needs. Now, what else have you got?”
They all begin talking together, throwing around
random phrases and trying out words that might sound sharp when read out from a
computer. I grow bored of listening. I am hungry. Spreading my wings, I leap
off the picture frame and move toward the plate of pastries sitting beside the
coffee pot. I impact with a clear glass dome, rebound backwards with a start,
and sit for a moment on the table, stunned. Then I shakily take flight, seeking
an exit from this now oppressive room. I leave the business executives to their
meeting. I have other priorities to attend to.
*Image courtesy of Pinterest
