Call me...maybe

It is now six days post-resignation from my (previous) day job, and radio-silence from administration.  This does not surprise or disappoint me.  I am, however, fascinated by the implication and by the implications of THAT for the choices I made over the previous fifteen years.

There is a saying that "Character is how you behave when no one is looking."  I agree, and believe that if one is sloppy with the little things, one will be sloppy with the big things.  I organized my work around that idea and thought I was Doing The Right Thing.  I thought that was important, and that it was important to the people for whom I worked.  I thought my insistence on coherent recommendations was important.

It appears that the last two hours of my employment resonated more with management that the previous fifteen years, and that is the fascinating part.  Working backwards, I deduce that if I had given two-weeks notice, or better yet, a year's notice, I probably could have gotten some sort of statement of appreciation, maybe lunch, maybe a handshake.  Not for the work I had done, but for my exit strategy.  As I continue to work backwards, it appears that behaving when no one was looking was not as integral a part of my job as I had thought.

Am I bitter?  Not a bit.  All the less-that-desirable parts helped point me toward my decision to leave ahead of retirement and the relief that I feel at having made that decision.  I am bemused that I spent so much time and energy where, in retrospect, it didn't matter, and I'm grateful that I have the chance to redirect my time and energy.

I remember coworkers saying to me "Hang in there, and don't let Them drive you out."  My question now, is....why?  Why on earth would I "Hang in there?"  Why would I, or anyone, stay in a situation where fifteen years of work is cancelled out in two hours?

So hey, if "standards", "best practices" and "effectiveness" really ARE important, then call me!  Maybe.  Wish me happiness.  Show some character.