38 Minutes I’ll Never Get Back
by gillis
When you cannot get a word in
Edgewise
When the illusion of choice
Illusion
of voice
has been unmasked.
When all of the air in the room has been
sucked out.
When all the faces are blanched and blank
except for the speaker’s.
You know you were part of
A non-parliamentary
Filibuster.
gillis and her big mouth 
So well said! I have been in meetings like that. All you can do is breath and walk away!
I felt that way yesterday at an institute day. We endured 5 hours of being talked at with only two 15 minute escapes.
When the illusion of choice….I hate spending time on committees thinking I have a voice only to find out they had a different decision in mind all the time.
‘illusion of choice, illusion of voice- unmasked”– what a wonderful line.
This feels like every meeting at my school. I love the line breaks!
Like other commenters, I love the “illusion of choice, illusion of voice, has been unmasked.” Powerful. It happens to us as adults and happens to the children in our classrooms at times. Something to think about.
Cathy