As I sit here waiting for a former coworker to join me for dinner, I'm finding myself thinking back on many former coworkers. I'm wondering where they are, did they get promoted, did they move on to a new company? What has happened to them? I'm wondering if dinner tonight will be a long discussion on our former joint work place or will we find that we thought we had a friendship to build on and we do! I'm also finding it amazing that I am more curious about former coworkers than high school classmates! Why is that?
For any former coworkers wondering what happened to me, the answer is, well, a lot! But who is that not true for over years? A lot. We've all had a lot. Haven't we? So, I'll stop writing for now. She should be here soon and I'm sure you are desperate to know what kind of a visit it was!
The visit is ended. I'm firmly ensconced in my home. So, what kind of a visit was it? It was a real visit. I found that the friend I thought I had, I have. There was more to us than work. I realize that is not true for many of the people I left behind. I'm sorry for them. I'm sorry for her. It was a terrible place to work. I was not happy there though I had so very much hope when I started, we all did.
We had a great dinner. We talked about family, children, significant others. It was good. It was open. It was sad. It was open. A lot has already happened to both of us in the short time I've been away. I'm glad to know I really did make a friend and that I am taking her with me. It was worth it then. If nothing else, I left there with a real friend.
It got me thinking on others that are still in my life from other jobs. I'm grateful for them. They knew me at a time that is very different than where I am now, and still they are here. I called them on my way home to let them know I am grateful. I am grateful they are still here, that they opened their lives up to me, that they stayed in mine. I am grateful for very much.
And then it hit me. We go to work for a lot of reasons but we don't often think about the thing that matters the most. We walk away, sometimes, with friends. I sit here now typing this and in the dining room is my husband, my son and 3 of our friends. One of these friends my husband made at a former workplace, and here he is, years later. Next to him is his girlfriend, I claim her for mine (even though she is playing the dork game with them!), she is my friend now and I clearly get to maintain custody in the event of a divorce. The third friend, he's the husband of one of my former coworkers. I think my husband claims him as his now, though there would be a serious game of rock-paper-scissors at the divorce proceedings for custody.
The thing is this, we leave work for one reason or another. We do that and think about our resumes and what we are putting on them. We don't realize that sometimes we get so much more than we were ever thinking about or think about now. Thank you former employers for the friends and husband I have. No matter how I felt when I was with you, looking back, it was worth it. I have so much more than you ever intended to give me.
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