It’s amazing how quiet a room can be.  You were early as usual.  Early is on time and on time is late.  Why would anyone want to be late?  It was going to be an awkward conversation.  You worked so hard.  You would do anything for the company.  You would do everything for your team.  Seems they have their minds made up.  The evidence is in the silence.

It still makes you angry, when they waltz into the room 5 minutes late.  It’s disrespectful.  The meeting was supposed to start at five.  It didn’t get started at five.  Why didn’t he just start it at five?  How loud can the silence get?  Patience is among the underappreciated virtues that you hold so dear.  Just like truth, commitment and honor have all gone the way of the payphone.

You’re not like them.  As much as you want to fit in, you really don’t want to fit in.  It’s what you worry about.  It keeps you motivated.  They know all the right people, but you do all the right things.  They must have gone for coffee.  Even if you wanted to go, you were just too busy.  They finally showed up, at fifteen after 5.  They laughed at his jokes.  You didn’t.  You force yourself to smile, as he looked at you.

It takes the entire two hour meeting for him to come clean.  It isn’t you.  You know it doesn’t really matter, but you can’t stop feeling like it really matters.  The slap on the back keeps you from standing up, the knife in your back keeps you sitting down.  He’s right over you now.  He thanks you for all your commitment to the company.  Before you leave, he has just one more thing for you to do.  Teach your new boss everything you know.  You should quit.  You won’t quit.  You’re like a dove.  You mate for life.

No matter what happens, keep doing what you do.  Just do the very best you can and everything else will fall into place.  Life has a funny way of sorting these things out.  Don’t let what they do change what you do.  They don’t measure your worth.  You don’t work hard to satisfy them.  You work hard, because anything less wouldn’t satisfy you.  Your work ethic will overpower them.  Your commitment will overwhelm them.  Your positivity will disorient them.

Hold your head high.  Thank him for the opportunity and smile.  You have to get going.  You have work to do!

Slightly different!

doc mu