Yesterday was the end-of-the-year luncheon at the school where I worked until mid-April. It's a tradition at these annual luncheons to say farewell to staff and faculty who are leaving, and people who have worked there more than 10 years have the option to have a short speech given in their honor, and to make remarks themselves.
Some of the 30-plus people who left this year chose not to attend, but I wanted an opportunity to say goodbye to everyone so I went. I sat with my librarian pals and when my name was called, I marched up to the stage and got my engraved tankard, which I'm sure I will never use. I worked there 14 years so I could have had a speech, but I chose not to, and I didn't make one, either. I didn't want to make everyone sit there and endure reminiscences about my career. But I did wave from the stage and say thanks and I think that was enough. Less is more.
I also visited the library for the first time since I left. There have indeed been a lot of changes, and more are coming, because at least one of the librarians told me she's not happy with the current shelf organization. I could have adapted if we'd done all this when I was there, but I'm happy not to have to deal with it. I still feel a sense of ownership over the space. I found myself walking around, picking up bits of paper and neatening things. (I must say, the person who took the job in my stead doesn't appear as meticulous as I am, and this makes me secretly happy, because I am an egotistical bitch and I want to be missed.)
On my way home I passed a planter filled with violas (above). This planter, outside a shop on a street where I used to walk Olga, has historically been a deathtrap for plants. It gets baked by the sun and it's infrequently watered. But the violas look like they're prospering. They're tough plants.
I found more cat art on my way home.
Here, with that tadpole-like graffiti I've been seeing around the neighborhood.
And then there was this...
...a dose of realism to go with the cartoons!
Anyway, by the time I got home I was exhausted so I'm once again behind on blogland but I'll catch up today.
Quote: "I am an egotistical bitch". Having read two thousand Reedian blogposts, I disagree most vehemently with this self-analysis. You are neither "egotistical" nor are you a "bitch" - you are a good guy Charlie Brown.
ReplyDelete100% agree YP
DeleteMe, too!
DeleteAnd me!
DeleteWell, thanks for your votes of confidence. :)
DeleteInclude me in the above commenters list.
DeleteCongratulations to retirement proper, nothing stopping you now!
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, I worked as a bookseller and to this day, I unconsciously tidy up book displays and shelving when I visit a messy shop.
It's hard not to, isn't it?! I do the same thing. I dislike any disorganization.
DeleteYou should have deadheaded those pansies. Give them a longer life.
ReplyDeleteHa! It would have taken me two weeks!
DeleteBoth the very old library buildings I worked in were rebuilt after I left - I never got to work in nice modern buildings.
ReplyDeleteBut your buildings had character, I bet!
DeleteThat end-of-year luncheon feels like a clean closing of a long chapter after 14 years; the choice to keep remarks brief at the stage fits that less is more approach, especially when the intention is simply to acknowledge the moment. Visiting the library again after leaving carries a strange mix of familiarity and distance, noticing the reorganized shelves, slipping into old habits of tidying almost without thinking, a quiet pull toward ownership that still lingers. The violas in that harsh planter are a small victory against expectation, thriving where most plants would struggle; the cat art, plus those bits of street graffiti, keeps the walk home full of character. By the time you got back, exhaustion feels completely justified after a day like that.
ReplyDeleteThis year the school had to put rather tight time limits on people's remarks because so many of us were leaving. Normally, speeches could ramble on a bit. I think this is a better system!
DeleteA good way to round things off. Yes, you will be missed.
ReplyDeleteyay, more cat!! I really like the plain line one
There's not a lot of variation in the cartoon cats but I enjoy them.
DeleteI agree with Neil, you are a good guy. I know from experience that it is a mixed-bag of feelings when you go back to a place where you've worked for a long time. My last school was 15 years, and when I went back the following year to substitute, it was a weird feeling. Not a part of something anymore, but yet in my head I was still a part of it, if that makes any sense at all.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know exactly what you mean. I still feel a part of my school, but also not -- and I can see how going back would be difficult under those circumstances.
DeleteI collected beer steins and tankards when I was in my 20s. It would have been a fun gift back then. Not anymore. But I’m glad you went and I’m especially glad you got to see how things have come undone since you left. I do love the cat art... and fun to see the sperm again.
ReplyDeleteOr tadpole! Or chameleon! Yes, it was gratifying to see some signs of untidiness, but then again, maybe I'm the only person who notices these things?
DeleteSo you've finally retired, complete with tankard. That must have been an odd feeling, to be back. I've been the director of more than one agency and, to this day, if I'm in a building and see a paper on the floor, I'll pick it up! Those habits stick.
ReplyDeleteNot such a terrible habit to have, though, is it?!
Delete14 years is a good run. The luncheon sounds like a nice gathering and a great way to say one more goodbye. You devoted lots of time and energy to the job and many people are not as conscientious as you. You will be missed.
ReplyDeleteThe violas are beautiful.
Yeah, it felt like a good idea to attend for my own psychological closure!
DeleteI was 15 years on my last paid job, a nice amount of time.
ReplyDeleteI had planned to work 15 years but when I could leave a year early and still basically get paid for that final year (under the terms of the buyout offered by the school) I took it.
DeleteThe blue cat is neutered...an interesting touch!
ReplyDeleteI agree: less is more, especially in seches!
speeches!
DeleteHa! I wondered what "seches" were! LOL
DeleteOh, I'm sure you are missed. And hey, great photos!
ReplyDeleteEverybody likes those cats! :)
DeleteWell, I suppose a tankard is preferable to a coffee mug. Or is it? Why not a watch? What happened to giving retirees a watch? So symbolic- "Here's your time back." What does a tankard symbolize? "You're retired. You can fill this puppy up with ale at ten in the morning. Why not?"
ReplyDeleteI'm a laff riot this morning, aren't I?
Hey, I told Mr. Moon about your meal worm and seed bird feed and he has already ordered some. He asked me where you got yours. I said, "Uh, London?" and then I did add, "At a garden center."
Oh, I'm glad I didn't get a watch. That's the last thing I need. Does anyone wear a watch anymore? It IS ironic that a watch or clock is the traditional retirement gift, since it's being given to people who no longer need to monitor their time as closely!
DeleteThe brand of seed we buy is Peckish. I don't know if it's available in the USA, but I'm sure there's some similar mealworm/seed mix there. The birds aren't that picky. :)
Glen just filled the feeder with the new seed and meal worm mixture. I am so excited to see what the birds think about it. Thanks for the inspiration!
DeleteAnd by the way- is "Peckish" not the perfect name for a bird seed brand? I love it!
I think the watch would symbolise "your time is now your own".
DeleteA tankard can be used as a cup for pens and pencils or as a vase for garden flowers that you have picked. I retired right before Covid so everything changed and I'm glad I wasn't there at work to go through it. I haven't been back since Covid and I'm okay with that.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'll find some use for the tankard! I'll definitely keep it, especially engraved as it is with my name.
DeleteViolas are so happy looking. And I love the cat stickers. 30 people left this year? That's a lot of staff. How big is the school?
ReplyDeleteI don't know our total employee numbers, but there are more leavers than usual because the school offered a buyout incentive for longtime staff to leave. A cost-cutting measure.
DeleteI love that cartoon cat guy is going full color! I think that stein will be pretty in the kitchen window with a few blooms from your garden nestled within. I'm glad you chose to attend the luncheon and yes, to see the library and have that sense of propriety. I have that feeling in some ways when I return to the station. You are now officially offical!
ReplyDeleteIt's a weird in-between land, revisiting a former employer -- belonging, but not quite.
DeleteLove the sleepy cat!
ReplyDeleteI would have chosen not to say anything either because I would have gone all sarcasm and bad humor ....
Ha! You would have had people in stitches, though! Maybe not the bosses...:)
Delete"less is more". One of my favorite design principles. (My first dog following college was named Mies)
ReplyDeleteThat's a fantastic name for a dog. I wonder what Mies (the person) would have thought? LOL
DeleteYou handled that luncheon very well, no speech wanted and none made. 30+ staff left this year?! That seems a LOT!
ReplyDeleteI remember that I felt protective-possessive for "my" part of the library when I stopped working there and came back just as a customer. Like you, I went round "my" old shelves, straightening and neatening. It took a while until I was able to just enjoy being one among many many readers, with no responsibility for the place anymore.
The school offered a financial incentive for people to leave, so that's why many of us took it. It's hard to drop the sense of ownership we have for a space where we were once responsible!
DeleteSounds like a perfect little send-off to all those years of work. No speech necessary, just a thank-you wave.
ReplyDeleteYeah, a speech seemed a little over-the-top, honestly!
DeleteThose violas look lovely.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Aren't they great?! I'm really surprised at how well they're doing. When they were planted I thought they'd be short-lived!
DeleteYou had a good day. It's nice to be recognized for what you've done.
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed nice!
DeleteThe viola is very pretty.
ReplyDeleteSome recognition for your service is well deserved.
I think it worked out well -- just an appearance and a wave. That's all I needed!
DeleteI loved YP's comment, but I totally understand wanting your replacement to not be as good as you.
ReplyDeleteIt's terrible, isn't it?! Not an impulse I'm particularly proud of!
DeleteYour honest admission about being missed made me laugh out loud. This was perhaps the best speech of all, ha.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yeah, I probably wouldn't have said that from the stage, so you're getting my more honest departure remarks!
DeleteI too wanted to be missed. I secretly hoped that people didn't realize how excellent I was because I made it look easy. The teacher who came after me wasn't popular at first but eventually she was all the students knew and they accepted her. She was an awkward cold fish type though and that's not my personality at all. It was a tough adjustment for my students. I think closure to a career is important so it's great that you attended!
ReplyDelete