Socializing at a Distance

Distant Lunch

         Since the stay-at-home directives, I haven't met up with some friends for some time. I had the opportunity to have lunch with a friend the other day. Don't worry, we followed all the social distancing protocols.

         We chose take outs and spent time at his office. There were only two other persons in the office, in their own rooms. Based on their titles, I guess they were his executive VPs.

         The meeting itself was somewhat humorous because we both sat at opposite ends of his office. We chatted and used the screen overhead to show each other stuff we found on the internet, etc.

         What I found valuable was him telling me his life stories. My friend is old enough to be my father. And I find myself learning some life lessons based on his experiences. You see, he used to be a Wall Street investment banker. He's met a lot of colorful characters over the years. What's worse than a prick? A rich prick.

         It is obvious that he chose a less lucrative path down the road, but he's still very well off. His family life didn't suffer as a result of him devoting everything into Wall Street. And the path he chose allowed him to work with decent people he could relate to instead of disgust. There is a point where you ask yourself what is your friends and family worth.

The people around you: family, friends, good colleagues, etc. are what matters the most.

         And the whole point was him telling me that things will become better in the long run. I need to prioritize what matters most in life.

Shocking News

         On the other side of the county, I learned a terrible news about a coworker. He is, in fact, one of the assistant managers of the department. I have seen him risen through the ranks and his transformation for the better over the years.

         It all started when I noticed he's assigned to work from home for an extended period of time. At first, we thought he might be using up his paid time offs (PTOs) during the qurantine to avoid contact. That's in addition to company slashing the maximum PTOs a person could hold at any time for next year.

         After two weeks, some of us began to wonder if he had contracted COVID-19. Which might have explained why he was on extended leave. During this time, he still called in to check on the night crew. Sometimes, he'd FaceTime if there was a mechanic issue with the automation that we needed to fix.

         (Yeah, troubleshooting software and hardware is part of the job description for me.)

         Then, the truth revealed itself. The team leads contacted everyone in our department and told us what had happened to him.

         He has brain cancer.

         He's starting treatment soon and hoping for the best. This particular manager has gone through quite a bit in life. He is one of those guys who you'd root for as the underdog. You hope he'd make it out all right as time go on. This revelation almost seems unfair. But, he seems calm and rather cheerful about the whole ordeal.

         That guy has held the department together during tough times. The most important thing he's done was stabilizing morale. He helped bring order into the chaos.

         I wish him the best.