The Day The Music

For all practical purposes, my company died July 11. It wasn't the official ending, but it sure felt like it. I hadn't felt sad, but Thursday I did. E-mails and sentiment were rampant. I wanted to hug everyone I saw.

Crazy thing ... earlier in the week it was announced that all the plants were free for the taking. Every plant in the building. None to be spared. Little to huge. Just first-come, first-served. Put your name on it and have the plant out of the building by 5 p.m. on Friday.

It was a mad, free-for-all event. People were snagging everything. I heard reports that folks who had been given plants as birthday gifts or from others came back to their desk and found their plants gone or with a name slapped on it. Total madness.

It's interesting that if those plants had been offered as a free door-prize drawing or something like that, employees would have bickered and moaned. "All I got was a plant." Who cares that it is valued at $100. Make it a competition, tackle-your-coworkers event for a free plant and professionals become lunatics. I label it the "Suvivor mindset."

I found one plant in a locked conference room. I asked for a key but was told I had to wait for the CEO to visit the room. Later I was told that the plant was given to a woman that took home eight others. Greedy is what I call it. My friend Lana shared one of hers with me.


I know I will keep in touch with folks. I'll miss the place, many co-workers and friends.