February 28, 2009
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I wake up early, have coffee, browse the net, and read a few articles. I feel gloomy as the economy is going down deeper.
The sun rises. The wood outside my window is brightened gradually. First, a metallic lavender shade comes from the my right hand side and the trees’ very pale shadow is slant about 45 degrees on the ground. Then the metallic lavender shade on the trees licks from the right to the left and turns pink simultaneously. Within a few minutes the whole wood was so bright with sunlight. It is magical to see the day turning, the light coming and the color on the trees changing. Two pairs of birds are dancing around the trees. A pair of red cardinals that are bright red and larger than the other pair of red robins that are slightly smaller, brown color with a few red patches around their beaks and tips of their wings. It is weird to see a few deers wander in my back yard again in total sunlight. Deer normally come only when it is snowing, sun setting, or before sun rising.
The weather is changing dramatically. One day it is warm with 45oF and the next days it is 30oF. However the spring slowly returns. The number of warm days increases.
The week before last week I felt something unusual in the air in the office. Under this economy I have had a feeling that the ax is going to come down soon. I saw the department administrator talked in hush hush tone with my boss and the boss of my boss. That particular morning when I was coming in I met my boss near the printer. As I said hello he returned my greeting but looked the other way. His eyes were red and glistering as if he had been crying. Later, I asked L., the administrator if something was wrong. Sensing my worriness, she calmed me down and told me that they talked about a director of another department who works on our floor, got terminal illness. And she confirmed that my boss was crying.
The director is a very nice man. I once in a while work with him in a few projects. He commands an air of calmness, kindness and trustworthiness. Due to his illness he left his job that day although he is relatively young. Early of this week, his secretary asked me to sign a well wish card for him. She also collected money to get him flowers and fruits. Moment later she returned and showed me the picture of the gift she had sent. As I thanked her for allowing me to join the well wish, I also complimented her for doing the job effectively. She said: “He is a good man.” Her eyes glistened and she choked up. I was touched and tried not to cry.
It is not easy to be liked and respected at the same time. A boss who employees love has to be a very special person. Seeing the secretary’s genuine affection for her boss touches my heart. Seeing my boss shed tears for his colleague makes me like my boss more as I realize he is a soft heart person. No wonder my CM kept saying that my boss is a teddy bear. I used to think of my present boss as a sharp-around-the-edges person. I have changed my opinion of him after I work for him. He is a thousand times nicer than my former one(s). And more effective too.
Working relationship changes me profoundly. I used to be very trusting and very naïve. Working environment makes me more cynical. Behind the painted veil of friendly and gregarious faces there is always a knife ready to sink deeply into people’s back (and front too if allowed) in order to advance their career or to secure their position. Most people I work with when they left work either for retirement or to different department, I never wish to see them again. Among those people was my former boss. My hatred for him never diminish after he left. The former boss used to encourage me to go a retirement party or a colleague’s funeral because these occasions were opportunites to rub elbows with important people. The appearance of his employees would make him look good. He liked to have his employees around handy so he could tell people that “I am the boss of this guy or that gal.”
The affection, off guardly expressed, people have for this director shows that he is indeed a remarkable person.
Comments (7)
I have a well respected boss that I would do back flips for…but at my age that might be lethal… so maybe dance a jig might be better haaaa.
I love dawn and sunset both for all the colors they bring. They keep me going even when the dank of winter is kind of depressing. Spring is on the way… we all must stay positive and keep hope alive.
You are so right about relationships at work. Before working, I was not aware how people can appear to be best friend while stabbing you in the back. Job friends make me leery of people. Although I must say, I found a good friend (out of many) at work and she sticks with me thick and thin for over 12 years now. So, I feel quite lucky to find one gem among the fakes.
Your director sounds like a good man judging from the people’s reaction. It is rare to find a successful kind caring good leader.
good man like him, thousand to one.
This was very good. I am sorry for his illness but I am glad for your chance to soften. I am struck by — I’m not sure exactly. It was only a few paragraphs but you reeled us in with the description from the window. Then you took us to work and we saw the people at the water cooler. And we all remember your former boss but this is the first time I remember you being specific. I always wondered about him and now I know. Maybe this is a chance to replace some of that loathing with something better.
Thanks for the kind words I appreciate them very much especially coming from you. Judi
sorry to hear about your colleague.
it only takes a small handful of bad individuals to make work unpleasant.
i have a 50/50 percentage ..luckily most of them are getting laid off.
@pmanmeister - Now, work is more pleasant for you.