Club Meeting 20XY     The taxi stopped directly in front of the hotel. The club chairman took the receipt for his account of expenses and slowly entered the lobby. He looked around and thought about how far he had come. All former club meetings had been held in uncomfortable gymnasiums or adjacent rooms, but this place was one of the best locations around, a venue for many important events with a reputation only waiting for winners like himself. Calmly he went to the elevators. While waiting, he let the ambience kick in. Furniture, carpets, and paintings had a level which did justice to his standing. The guests were international, and the chairman wondered how many people would recognise him.   A suave sound announced the arrival of a cage. When it had emptied, he went inside and pushed a button. Smoothly the door closed. The club chairman looked at the mirrored walls of the elevator and said: "According to our club statutes, the quorum is constituted. Hereby I open this year's plenary club meeting."   © 2007 GNM

Comment   This text is probably difficult to understand by non-members because it requires some local knowledge. It is motivated by the fact that over the years less and less people attended the meetings of the respective club. The latest figure was about two percent of the total number of official members, and the chairman was elected by the majority of this very two percent. This, together with the ludicrous statements about his importance and about the club's outstanding performance, already composes a nice piece of real-life satire. Keeping this in mind, the text just extrapolates a little bit to the future. Eventually, today's satire may become once again the reality of tomorrow.    © 2007 GNM