TheBanyanTree: Last Day

[Margaret R. Kramer]

We’re at the end of a string of warm October days that featured crystal blue
skies, amazing colors, and T-shirt temperatures.  A cold front is making its
way towards us and will blow away our summer-like weather and usher in
realty – we’re on the downward spiral towards winter.

So, perhaps, it’s good-bye to fall.  And this is a good time to say good-bye
to my coworkers of 15 years.  Yes, even the alcoholics.  They’re not bad
people, but like the rest of us, they were caught in a bad situation and all
of us ended up playing our own toxic roles in it.

I started my last day with my usual Tuesday workout – lifting weights and
then a rousing period of cardio activity on the crosstrainer.  I took a
shower, combed and dried my hair, got dressed and headed to Panera where I
bought bagels for everyone in our office.

My stomach is always growling after workout and it was difficult to keep my
mind off of food as I drove along and smelled all those freshly baked bagels
(nine packs of them!).  The Panera guy offered to give me a free coffee to
go with the smell, but I declined.  I would have had to have a bagel then!

I had to make several trips into the lunchroom with the bagels.  But I got
them all set up, set out the cream cheese packs, and had plastic knives and
napkins ready to go.  Some people were in the lunchroom and they said
appreciative thank yous and good lucks and grabbed bagels.  Our office loves
to eat!

I managed to send out a “thank you” email to the entire office and also
informed them about the bagels as people began to gather around my desk.  I
couldn’t stop smiling, because I was happy I was leaving and I was also
happy to have a chance to talk with so many people on my last day.

I began to get “good-bye” emails and I wrote responses as fast as I could.
Gee,  I even got nice emails from people I could barely tolerate.  Isn’t
that funny?  They were probably glad to see me go.

I had a quick meeting with one of our sales people and we spent most of it
ripping our company.  It was a good chance to do some serious gossip with
the door closed.

I had my exit interview and got my COBRA information.  I was mild in my exit
interview.  There was no point in ripping the place.  I’ve learned from
experience that some things never change and I think a toxic office is one
of them.

I went to lunch with my best work friend.  When I got back, I began cleaning
out the remainder of my desk.  Over the last two weeks, I began bringing
things home and throwing out useless paper, so there wasn’t too much to do.

I packed up the remaining bagels and put them in our office refrigerator.
Someone had already put the remaining cream cheese containers in the frig as
well.  I wiped down the counter, threw out empty containers and got the area
all spiffed up.  I didn’t want to leave a mess on my last day.

I do some wicked state reporting and have been torturing a coworker with
training over the past couple of days.  I continued to torture her for a few
more hours on my last day.  I watched as her eyes glazed over.  I wish I
could stay with her for another cycle of these reports, but I can’t.  I gave
her my home number email address and I’ll let her know my number at my new
job when I get it.  I don’t want to leave her in the lurch.  But she’ll be
fine.  It took me about six months before I knew what I was doing with those
reports.

It was getting towards the end of the day and people were beginning to
leave.  They came to say good-bye and I got lots of hugs.  We’re insurance
people and we don’t touch or hug easily, so I know those hugs were very
heartfelt.

I finally finished training and packed up the last of my stuff from my desk.
Thank goodness I had my big Panera bag to put things in.  I said my final
good-byes to some of the late staying people and began to head towards the
door.  I remembered I had my access card and dug it out of my purse and
turned it in to our HR person.  I’ll never have access again to that toxic
place.

I got phone numbers and email addresses of several people to watch for jobs
for them at my new company.  And I will, too.

Now I begin a few days of being “in between jobs.”  I’m going to have lunch
with my son and my youngest grandson today.  On Friday, I’m going to the big
city of Minneapolis and will meet a former coworker for lunch who left my
company last year.  We’ll chew on our food as well as chew on the fat – the
gossip, the incredible weirdness of that place, and the sadness we feel for
the people who are still there.

Then the weekend will come and I’ll begin to get nervous about my new job.
Where will I eat lunch?  What are the people like?  How hard will I have to
work?  Will I catch on?  It’s a big change after 15 years in one place.  But
I think I’m ready.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net

http://www.polarispublications.com
Be a star!

http://www.bpwmn.org
Business and Professional Women of Minnesota

You wouldn't believe
On All Hallow Eve
What lots of fun we can make,
With apples to bob,
And nuts on the hob,
And a ring-and-thimble cake.
~Carolyn Wells