Emergency meetings are such fun to call. The urgency, the sense of impending doom creates a great atmosphere. The mood reminds all involved of their importance. Everyone gets a fresh pad of paper and an excuse for not calling people back. Emergency meetings also give you a great excuse to mention ladders, to openly suggest their use. If there's enough dread you might even convince them to pay for a helicopter ride.

The emergency meetings around here are wonderful examples of people Doing Something. We're actively Getting Things Under Control. Even though they are just talk, they aren't Just Talk. They're action! Or, better, the authorization of action. And they can be abruptly ended at any point. No commitment.

At an emergency meeting, everyone gets to fold their arms. At the same time! And you can do smoking indoors! People that object- they are put outside. HA HA HA HA.

And around here, if we provide him with a bottle of juice, the Fire Chief lets us try on his hat! We pass it around the room and everyone gets a photo.

So to summarize: Calling an emergency meeting is one privilege you should abuse. Often. And if possible, do them on TV.

 

Chris Weagel

Chris Weagel writes about the intersection of technology and parenting for Wired Magazine. No he doesn't. He can't stand that shit.

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