Something is about to commence

Nellie Jones raised her hand to knock on her supervisor's door to report what had been happening in the office. She was standing on the verge of what she knew not. The Funkadelic song "Standing on the verge of getting it on" was playing in her head, but she tweaked the lyrics to make them personal.

"Even if you don't admit it

The time for change is here, and here we are

We're just for you

Nelle, what you doing

Standing on the verge of getting it on

Realy getting it on"

What was she doing? Would she be a hero or labeled a troublemaker by her peers? Just before she touched the wooden door, she turned and walked back to her desk because this was not an easy decision. Thankfully, the other workers were not paying attention.

Nellie's grandmother and others of her generation used the word commence to indicate that something was about to happen. Granny Clampet (Irene Ryan) on the television series The Beverly Hillbillies did the same.

That generation would say "The wedding is about to commence rather than saying it was about to begin or start. Nellie knew that if she reported what was happening, trouble would commence in the office.

"Commencement" was about change. The ending of one thing and the beginning of another. She thought about school gradations being called commencements, signaling that one chapter is over and a new one will begin. She was at a crossroads and knew she must make the right decision.

She thought about the legend of Robert Johnson and others who allegedly sold their souls to the devil for fame at a location called The Crossroads. She would never go that far, but desired to choose wisely and know her choice was the right one for all concerned.

She had a former pastor who once said that if you did not make choices, life would make them for you. Nelle's concern was that if she chose to spill the tea on her co-worker who was slacking, it might not make things better in her workplace.

If she said nothing, this man would continue to take advantage. It was wrong for everyone else to pick up the slack on a daily basis. This employee was charismatic and well-liked, but she was tired of doing his job. He left for lunch early and returned late, and his projects would not be completed if others did not assist, but no one else seemed to mind.

The plan that was forming in her mind could backfire. She had not discussed the situation with others in the office. Nelle thought about when her husband completed a 28-day drug treatment program. She attended daytime sessions for five days and met the family members of others in the program.

They all seemed to connect, and once the program ended, the patients and family members who supported them were all hopeful of a fresh, clean, and sober new beginning. The graduation ceremony was beautiful, and the commencement began.

Phone numbers and promises of keeping in touch and supporting the sober journey were exchanged. Over time, the phone calls stopped, and there were stories of those who had relapsed or gone to treatment again. Could her confession lead to promises that were never kept about the lazy employee?

Would her concerns be swept under the rug, and she lose her job for telling the truth, or would changes be made for the betterment of others? Perhaps the other employees would all turn against her. She knew there was no guarantee regarding the outcome.

When her husband's oldest brother died suddenly, his remaining sibling stood in their living room, declaring that the two of them were going to have a fresh start. He said they would be closer, declaring that they would talk "Every day, every day, every day."

They talked to each other twice the first week after the funeral, but the new beginning fizzled out, and they returned to the old pattern of communicating once every 5 or 6 weeks. These reminders that fresh starts don't always work out were sobering.

As she pondered her current situation, she acknowledged that something was about to happen, but she was not certain what it would be. She only knew that change was inevitable, and she could feel that now was the time. The Cameo song Candy began playing in her head.

"This stuff is starting now

This stuff is starting now

This stuff is starting now"

Would she cost the slacker his job, or would he be reprimanded and do better? Would the other employees back her up or take his side? Nelle knew she could wait no longer. She felt like the Biblical Queen Esther who decided to go before the King. Esther had said, "If I perish, I perish," without knowing if she would live or die.

Nelle looked around, and nobody seemed to notice her getting up. She walked to the supervisor's door again and raised her hand to knock. Her heart was beating fast, and she was sweating. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, and she began shaking.

This situation had to be resolved. She was standing on the verge of change and making a difference. It had to start now. "I think this is the moment when I stand up for what is right." "I can feel change in the air she thought to herself.

Just as her fist was about to touch the door, she said under her breath, "Today is not that day," as she turned around and went back to her desk without resolution.