Conclusion
The journey home is underway and I am feeling good. When I landed I shared my letter to my friend and we had our goodbye long before the planned events were to occur. I know it put me at ease as we headed into the events and I’m sure it had some positive effect on her as well. She of course has to endure much more than I. She is lost but will quickly find her way again. It’s understandable considering the situation. What fear I had flying down has been replaced with hope. She is an eagle and eagles need to spring their wings and fly to thrive. She hadn’t flown in so long that I know that once she does she will again be happy and I will hear her laugh and the smile in her voice once more.
Behind the curtains the truth is told and I know more now than I did. I probably knew too much anyway going into the events. I have been pulled by both sides in this war. At the end of the day I realize that neither party has lied and believes that they are justified. The constant in it all was the situation which never changed. The only difference was the unique perspective told to me by each. Reputations and legends have been damaged that time will either correct or forget, both of which are the same in the eyes of history. History is written by the winners and in those cases where there are none, history forgets.
There are a few of us remaining at this point from the old guard. The new guard doesn’t carry the same passion for the business that the old guard does. Although I am relatively young, I know it will never be the same as I remember from my youth. The company has changed and the people have changed. It’s starting to dawn on many this simple truth about our profession but it is one that I’ve known for a while. I pay attention and am more aware than others. I say that not to boast but to emphasize that when truths come out in the end it surprises many and catches them off guard. I know the truth about the business I’m in today and realize that I am a number. In fact, I’m employee 00037XX. The people I hire today are employee number 200 thousand plus. That’s a significant difference. We haven’t grown that large, we have only contracted. There are few employee ids remaining lower than mine. In sports, your name is revered and jerseys are hung for all to admire for those in the future to remember you, to remember your legacy. In corporate America your name is quickly forgotten and those that do remember will be those that are gone and or a footnote in a story soon to fade as well.
I write all of this because it is who we are. It is our identity. It’s hard to comprehend when you know other things and have seen other campuses and pay stubs. For those few remaining, it is all we’ve known and all we care to know. There is a part of me that would love to be in the Pizza Hut Hall of Fame but deep down I know better. I know that it will come to an end and I will be at a table surrounded by my friends and we will share great stories and say our goodbyes. That is all I can expect in the corporate world. I’ve come to accept these terms and arrangements regarding the end. Until that eventual moment I will persevere and do my part to make things better and further my relationships with those remaining. In the end, after my friends have said their goodbyes, all that will remain is a legacy that only I will remember.
