But Hattabaugh, with an undertaker’s demeanor, Henry Kissinger-type delivery and all the flash of regular (not minted mind you) dental floss, managed to still keep below the excitement level radar settings Talkers had set.

Once during his presentation, Talkers perceived, a clock on the wall didn’t just stop, it moved backward. And Talkers were pretty sure some guests asked for after-lunch toothpicks just to snap in half and use for eyelid props. But during his 96-hour summary of the state of education in Mecklenburg, Hattabaugh did drop in some nuggets of interest and Talkers were surprised by the grown-ups in the crowd who couldn’t care less.

Some in the audience, including folks seeking election this November — many of them candidates for the board directly linked to Hattabaugh’s subject — were behaving, ironically, like school children. Talkers know a little about classrooms, having occasionally substituted and been all-too-often caught in the glare of fresh-from-school irate spouses with a rage to vent and a professional obligation to not ring the scrawny little necks of the brats responsible. One of the nastiest modern thorns in the side of classroom teachers is cell phones — especially in the hands of kids who claim ADD but can play three different video games and carry on multiple texting conversations on concealed cell phones all while feinting interest in class subjects.

But give the kids credit: at least they try to hide the phones. While the current superintendent of CMS trudged through statistics about cost-cutting efforts at the Chamber luncheon, the restaurant was lit up by text-messaging adults oblivious to the rudeness and indifference their actions displayed.

Some of these folks, who made an effort to be seen at the luncheon and want county voters to acknowledge their potential, need to evaluate their priorities. If they are so busy they can’t pay attention, Talkers don’t want them making decisions about the future of the schools.