Thursday, September 11, 2008

Goodbye Matheson

My job at the airport, working for Matheson Flight Extenders, is finally over. There is a certain dignity that a person gains when they leave a job on their own terms. This was the fourth job I've had and I have left all of them on my own terms. I have never been fired and I intend to always keep it that way. I've seen a lot of people get fired over the years, how nasty it is, how people get angry and argue and yell nasty things as they leave. But when I quit a job, it is always all smiles. I left today no different than any other job I have ever left. At the end of the shift, I shook hands with everyone and told them that I wished them well. I also told them (which is a sort of tradition I've started with myself that I say when I leave every job) that all of them were better than the job that they had, that they could do better, that they should leave this place and go do something more fulfilling with their lives. Though I say it at every job, I always believe every word of what I'm saying.
One of my co-workers was especially sad to see me go. He is an old Mexican man, probably somewhere in his mid to late forties, who speaks very little english and works two full-time jobs. He always liked me cuz he could see that besides him, I was the only other one who worked really hard. On my first day on the job, he even joked that he had never seen a white guy work so hard. He always would joke around with me (as much as he could), and even if it wasn't funny, I would try to be accomodating and laugh because I could see that he was really looking for acceptance. When he said goodbye to me, I could see that he didn't really know what to say. I told him to take care of himself and to go home and sleep, since I always joked with him that I had no idea when he ever slept. It made me feel good to leave that horrible job in a way that was strikingly dignified. Everyone was sad to see me go but happy for me that I was moving on.

3 comments:

Amber said...

good for you - i have technically never been fired and leaving on your own terms is definitely the way to go. I know this step will move you on to bigger and better things :)

Stacy said...

I'm also glad that you left on such good terms. You are a great employee that any company would be happy to have...now we just have to find you the company you want to work for next!

Nene said...

I'm glad you were nice to the old guy. :0)