Fly on the Wall

I had a wonderful “fly on the wall” experience in front of the tube recently. My local C-Span-ish Local Access TV channel played a local Rotary Club meeting and the do-gooder members discussed ways to change attitudes about domestic violence.

“The public’s mind can be changed,” volunteered one Rotarian. “Just like tobacco – with harsh restrictions and high taxes.”

This set off a flurry of comments about tobacco and went on for ten minutes.

A librarian said she was glad smoking had been made “not cool” anymore. She said she hated it when her father smoked, but she couldn’t tell him. He started smoking when he received free cigarettes as a WWII G.I., she said. She had a dreamy smile on her face and the other Rotarians murmured assent.

That’s all I remember for now. I contacted the Local Access station manager and asked for a DVD and I hope to have more for you.

People seldom hear derogatory jokes about their own ethnicity and smokers rarely hear non-smokers speaking openly with the assurance that there were no smokers listening. This is precious stuff and I want more!