🎤 Audio Overview

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Act I – The Gathering at Town Hall

The folding chairs inside Sequatchie Crossing Town Hall had been arranged in a circle, then rearranged into rows, and then—after a brief but heated exchange between Mister Wade Langston and Maggie Sue Dillard—returned to a circle again.

“It promotes shared responsibility,” Maggie Sue said, folding her arms.

“It promotes confusion,” Wade replied, standing firmly beside a stack of unused agendas.

Sheriff Peeler leaned against the back wall, hat tilted low. Daisy the hound lay at his feet, her ears twitching at every raised voice but otherwise refusing to participate.

“Well,” Sheriff Peeler said, “y’all gonna sit or rearrange ‘em till someone gets elected by accident?”

That got a few chuckles.

Clovis Strickland stood up, holding a clipboard he’d brought solely for the purpose of appearing organized.

“We are gathered,” Clovis began, “to identify a leader.”

There was a murmur of agreement. A solemn nod from Evelyn Grace Tipton. A cautious sip of sweet tea from Lurleen Davenport.

“And by leader,” Clovis continued, “we mean someone capable, available, and—ideally—willing.”

There was a long pause.

Nobody spoke.

Finally, Trixie Jo Bartlett leaned forward. “Well, we got capable folks.”

“Oh, we got plenty of capable,” said Ricky Travis “RT” Mullins.

“Capable ain’t the issue,” added Sonny Morales.

Clovis nodded. “Exactly. So let’s begin by listing qualified candidates.”

He clicked his pen.

And the room collectively leaned back.

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Act II – The List of Qualified People Who Should Not Lead

Clovis stood at the center, scribbling names.

“Sheriff Peeler,” he said.

Peeler raised a hand without moving. “Already in charge of too much.”

“Fair,” Clovis nodded. “Mabel Dean Ashcroft.”

Mabel adjusted her brooch. “I have led. Extensively. I now advise.”

“That’s true,” Evelyn Grace added. “She led that entire casserole dispute of ‘98.”

“And resolved it,” Mabel said firmly.

Clovis wrote Advisor Only beside her name.

“Pastor Arnold Peeler?”

The pastor smiled gently. “Leadership must be called, not assigned.”

“So that’s a no?” Clovis asked.

“That’s a… prayerful maybe,” Pastor Peeler replied.

Clovis hesitated, then wrote Spiritually Available, Practically Uncertain.

“What about Shelley Fawn Wexler?” Trixie Jo suggested.

Shelley looked up from her tablet. “I could, theoretically, but I don’t feel it aligns with my current focus on community-based mindfulness branding.”

“That sounds like a no,” RT muttered.

“It’s a strategic deferral,” Shelley corrected.

Clovis sighed.

“Boot?” someone said.

Eugene “Boot” Barnes leaned back in his chair. “Y’all could just do it.”

“That’s not how leadership works,” Clovis snapped.

Boot shrugged. “Seems like it could be.”

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Act III – Porch Discussions and Strategic Avoidance

Later that afternoon, several of them relocated to the porch outside Mabel’s house.

Porches, in Sequatchie Crossing, were where decisions went to soften before disappearing entirely.

“I remember when leadership wasn’t this complicated,” Mabel said, rocking gently. “People just stepped up.”

“People also had less options for not stepping up,” Evelyn Grace noted.

“That’s true,” Mabel conceded.

Lurleen fanned herself. “Nowadays, folks got reasons.”

“Excuses,” Maggie Sue corrected.

“Reasons with structure,” Shelley added.

Trixie Jo leaned forward. “Well, who should do it?”

They all looked at each other.

Then, almost in unison, they each gestured—subtly, but unmistakably—at someone else.

“Clovis could,” RT said.

“I am facilitating,” Clovis replied.

“Mabel could,” Sonny added.

“I have transitioned,” Mabel said.

“Shelley’s organized,” Maggie Sue said.

“I am strategically disengaged,” Shelley responded.

They fell silent again.

Across the road, a donkey stood perfectly still beside a fencepost, watching them with what could only be described as patience.

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Act IV – The Church Meeting on Humility

That evening, they gathered again—this time at the church.

Pastor Arnold Peeler stood at the pulpit.

“Leadership,” he began, “is not about seeking authority, but accepting responsibility.”

There were nods.

“Sometimes,” he continued, “the most qualified person is the one who does not wish to lead.”

“That sounds like me,” Clovis whispered.

“That sounds like all of us,” Evelyn Grace said.

Pastor Peeler smiled. “Then perhaps the question is not ‘Who wants to lead?’ but ‘Who is willing?’”

The room grew quiet.

Sister Lila Mae “Hallelujah” Pruitt stood up suddenly.

“I am willing!” she declared.

Everyone turned.

She paused.

“…to support whoever the Lord appoints,” she finished.

There was a collective exhale.

“That was close,” RT muttered.

Pastor Peeler nodded. “Support is important.”

“But leadership is necessary,” Maggie Sue added.

“And yet,” Pastor Peeler said gently, “we remain… between leaders.”

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Act V – The Sheriff’s Office Reality Check

At the sheriff’s office the next morning, Sheriff Peeler poured coffee while Officer Kenny Joe Teeter leaned against the desk.

“So,” Kenny Joe said, “they still ain’t picked nobody?”

“Nope,” Peeler replied.

“They got plenty of options.”

“Too many.”

Daisy lifted her head briefly, then rested it again.

Doug “Doughboy” Teeter wandered in. “Y’all heard they’re forming a committee to identify potential leaders?”

Peeler didn’t look up. “Course they are.”

“What’s the committee gonna do?” Kenny Joe asked.

“Probably meet,” Peeler said.

“And then?”

“Schedule another meeting.”

Doughboy nodded. “That tracks.”

Across the street, the same donkey stood in the same spot.

“Donkey’s still there,” Kenny Joe said.

“Most consistent thing in town right now,” Peeler replied.

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Act VI – The Diner Debate

At the diner, the conversation had reached what could only be described as peak circularity.

“We need leadership,” said Sonny.

“Agreed,” said Trixie Jo.

“But it has to be the right person,” Maggie Sue added.

“Obviously,” Evelyn Grace said.

Chester Ray Blevins leaned over from the counter. “Why don’t one of y’all just do it?”

There was a pause.

Then simultaneous responses:

“I’m not the best choice.”

“I’d support someone else.”

“I’m better in a secondary role.”

“I don’t want to overstep.”

Chester blinked. “Sounds like y’all got a lot of leaders.”

“We have a lot of potential leaders,” Shelley clarified.

“Same thing,” Chester said.

“No,” Clovis said firmly. “Potential requires activation.”

“And who activates it?” Chester asked.

Clovis hesitated.

No one answered.

Outside the diner window, the donkey shifted its weight slightly, then resumed standing.

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Act VII – The Committee Forms Itself Into Inactivity

Back at Town Hall, the newly formed Leadership Identification Committee convened.

Clovis chaired it.

“First order of business,” he said, “is to identify criteria for leadership.”

“Accountability,” said Maggie Sue.

“Experience,” said Mabel.

“Vision,” said Shelley.

“Availability,” said RT.

“Willingness,” added Sonny.

They wrote it all down.

“Now,” Clovis said, “who meets these criteria?”

They all looked at the list.

Then at each other.

Then back at the list.

“Well,” Evelyn Grace said slowly, “several of us do.”

“Technically,” Shelley added.

“But practically?” Trixie Jo asked.

Silence.

“I nominate Clovis,” RT said.

“I decline,” Clovis replied immediately.

“Why?” Maggie Sue asked.

“I am most effective in a facilitative role.”

“Sounds like leadership,” Chester muttered from the back.

“It is adjacent,” Clovis insisted.

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Act VIII – The Donkey’s Unintentional Leadership

Later that afternoon, a small crowd gathered near the fence where the donkey stood.

It had not moved much in two days.

“Steady,” Sonny said.

“Reliable,” Evelyn Grace added.

“Present,” Mabel noted.

“Available,” Clovis whispered.

They all stared at it.

The donkey blinked.

“Well,” Boot said, stepping forward, “there’s your leader.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Maggie Sue said.

“Is it?” Boot asked.

“It’s a donkey,” Shelley said.

“It’s consistent,” Boot replied.

“It hasn’t volunteered,” Clovis added.

“Neither have y’all,” Boot said.

There was a long pause.

The donkey flicked its tail.

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Act IX – The Final Non-Decision

That evening, they gathered one last time at Town Hall.

Clovis stood at the front.

“We have evaluated all options,” he said.

“And?” Maggie Sue asked.

“And we have determined that leadership requires further consideration.”

“That ain’t a decision,” RT said.

“It’s a strategic pause,” Shelley corrected.

Mabel sighed. “In my day, we’d have already picked someone.”

“In your day, people didn’t have this many reasons not to,” Evelyn Grace said.

Boot stood up.

“Y’all could just do it,” he said again.

No one responded.

Sheriff Peeler looked around the room.

“Well,” he said, “until someone steps up, I reckon things’ll keep runnin’ the way they are.”

“And how’s that?” Kenny Joe asked.

Peeler shrugged. “Mostly fine. Slightly confused.”

Daisy wagged her tail.

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Epilogue – The Quiet Continuation

The next morning, the donkey was still there.

So was the town.

People went about their business.

Decisions were made—slowly, collectively, and without a clear leader.

Clovis updated his list.

Mabel reminisced.

Shelley strategized.

Pastor Peeler prayed.

Boot watched.

And every so often, someone would look at the donkey and think—just briefly—that leadership might not be about finding the perfect person.

But no one said it out loud.

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Disclaimer

No donkeys were elected, appointed, or formally recognized as leaders during the events described above.

All characters in this story are fictional and bear no resemblance to real individuals, though their reasoning may feel uncomfortably familiar.

Any resemblance to actual leadership situations is purely coincidental, structurally inevitable, and quietly ongoing.

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