I have this thing I have started to do lately. A hobby of sorts. It is checking out umbrellas. Mhmm…. Their colors, shapes, sizes and widths, makes for an intriguing pastime. No I am not hanging out at an umbrella store, if ever there was such a thing. I do it only when the very item itself, is in full display and in use. I do my browsing in the rain. No, not while I am getting drenched or soaked. I am definitely not watching the cornucopia of heights, colors and different stages of ‘manglement’ that may occur from fierce winds, while seated in the rain. No such thing would I be guilty of and no wet episodes will I tolerate.
The umbrella show and scrutiny, takes place while I am in transit with the rest of the world. Or at least with most of it. The world I mean. It’s while I am scurrying along with the masses. Let’s correct that. It is while the masses scurry on past me and I stop to take notes on the very activity I mentioned at the beginning of this bog.
This is my new Tuesday hobby/activity. You know the activity before the real and important one. You see you may not know this, but it rains every Tuesday in NYC. Sometimes on Wednesdays too! But I don’t let that put a damper on my wonderful Wednesday (smiley). I know because I have been keeping tabs. And I have the markings on the wall to prove this. Markings caused by disjointed umbrellas, as their jagged spokes scratch on the wall while you are trying to close and dispose of it. Sigh.
The other day, which may have been a Wednesday. I don’t remember anymore. Both days are now starting to compete for their fair share of droppings, drizzle and downpour. Anyway, whatever day it was. I saw quite a couple of overhead coverings that made me smile. There was the umbrella that looked like an open sunflower. It did not just have the picture of a sunflower on it. It was an open sun flower shielding its handler from the rain. That was classy and beautiful.
Then there was the one as round and as large as a camp tent. The huge umbrellas I noticed, are almost often carried by the menfolk. That is when they do carry any at all. But this time, it was a little lady wielding the enormous spread. How tempted I was, to ask her if she was off to pick the village up that rainy day. But I did not. She looked like she was in a hurry. Aren’t we all always in that, in this bustling city? In a hurry so to speak. So I simply snuck in and took a discreet dry walk with her. Yes you heard me right. I was under the big house, for six seconds and two blocks.
I eventually had to stop, because my knees were hurting. She was a whole lot of inches shorter than me and I had been stoop walking along. Then there was the person who had their umbrella blow all the way backwards, until it looked like a tulip with closed in petals. Meanwhile, they mercilessly got pelted with rain drops. Apparently, the very thing that was supposed to keep that from happening. Them getting wet and soaked. Actively and willfully made it happen. And that dear reader is what this blog is all about….
‘We have a new director’, announced the founder of the company I was working for at the time. 'In fact, we got two for the price of one.' (Not really though). Pun should be intended. 'He came with his wife continued the boss and I know that they would be a great help to us. I had been looking for help for some time now continued the beloved founder and then someone placed a resume in my hands….'
We loved the founder, the vision of the company and the dedication to that vision. That was the only reason I would have chosen to work there. That and the fact that it was recommended by my hero/dad. What did we do in the company? Well let me see, how I can break this down in a language palatable to mortals. We purified water. We developed or rather I should say marketed a product/substance, that when used as directed. Killed every germ and unwanted bodies in water. Leaving the water fresh, clean, pure and of course safe to drink.
I like clean, especially in my water. And will gladly work hard to make it so. So you can only imagine my passion and dedication to purifying water. I was excited and often amazed at how my private outlook always seemed to be aligned with the founder’s vision and outline. We were not of the same generation, gender, race, background, predisposition or personality. But somehow and some way, we were passionate about purifying water and had the same reactions to hydro-germs and other forms of contamination.
I was home finally, I mused joyfully to myself. Someone else gets it. Someone understands, that we all need clean water. As happy as I was about the company, the founder and some co-workers. I was even more enthralled by the founder’s Founder. His boss in lay terms. (Yes your boss has a boss too!) In fact the founder was so secure, he did not mind us going straight to his Boss anytime. As a matter of fact, he encouraged it. Yes, we were a weird bunch I know. But stay with me please.
As a result of my dedication and passion, I spread myself thin and joyfully so. I had a contribution and input to almost every department in the company. What can I say? My talent bowl was running over. If the nursing home needed clean water, I was there with the distributing group. The children’s hospital? Count me in. The pregnant teenager's home? There I was also. Telling silly jokes while distributing clean water. The prison/inmates also needed fresh water from the free world. And so did the orphans and what have you.
Now of all those departments, there was one that clicked very naturally and effortlessly with my abilities. And most around me or from afar agreed that indeed I was best suited there. But guess what? They just would not have me! So contemptuous and vehement was their rejection, that I got into petty fights every time someone suggested I be a part of the department. Dealing with the contrasting opinions, was frustrating. They had their reasons for rejecting, I would explain. I probably was not clean watered enough, did not have the right look or plainly could not sing. Yes you guessed it. That was the department that handled the company’s jingles. The singing department. And their reasons for rejecting me, turned out to be all three.
Not long after the new management came. Specifically the husband and the wife. Everything went south and sour for me. Almost every manager and head of department, suddenly got uncomfortable with me. Some went as far as lying and setting traps, to systematically get rid of me. Clean and pure water folks, now became a fading reality. And the original vision and measure for pure water, fell subtly to a dismal low. For example, it was now okay to allow a few sand grains and algae to float defiantly on the water’s surface. Hey, it can’t be that bad or deadly, or can it?
So off I ran to founder, asking for an intervention. If I could not purify water, I related in misery. Then I was out the door. 'Of course you can keep and always should purify water.' Clarified the stunned founder. 'Whatever could you be speaking about?' He wondered. 'Well, responded I. I have been harassed with constant hostility, singled out for embarrassment and humiliation, while being deceived and deprived of my functions. And when every source is questioned for their reasons, they point to the top.'
'That cannot be,' assured the founder still surprised. 'It’s absolutely impossible that any person in management would do that to you. You are a part of the vision and have diligently upheld its creed. Even my Boss identifies with you', confirmed the founder. 'So if any person in management, has harassed you. Then they never did belong with this company and never had the same vision also.' How comforted I felt, howbeit for a minute. Yet unbeknownst to the founder. There was another company, forming within the company.
Scene one: I sat speaking to the group of women. They lapped my every word, as their faces shone in relief and release. They were all older than me in that group. However, they asked for me and I was selected to lead them. I was selected by merit, record and experience. And the ladies were the happier for it. Somehow, the current management must have missed this newly acquired position. Since they were monitoring my every move. Not for long, was the oversight. For when they caught wind of my not so high places. Out of the blue and without any incident (If you discount my embezzled luggage and rural/war zone assault). I was called outside, while addressing the group of beautiful and warm ladies. And then asked not to return. The source of such a cold and cruel decision? It was a directive from higher up….
The highest of the ups had one female, remember? The other half of the ruling couple. I bought her a bunch of flowers. To schmooze? Maybe or maybe not. But the main reason had been that every time I ran into her after a meeting or speaking event to say hello or job well done. She would cringe or flinch away from me. She was very uncomfortable and scared when I was around. The first couple of times, I was sure was my imagination. But I later discovered it was not. Therefore, I went out of my way to prove I was no alien. Nor was I afflicted with a long running infectious disease.
For peace and comfort sake, I made small talk about visions and pure water. But she would rather I talked with her husband. I insisted I would rather talk to her then she could go talk to her husband. That way I would have killed two birds with one stone or get two results for the price of one effort. I would not tell him anything different from what she was hearing. And vice versa. Besides, those were my principles.
No, she preferred that I spoke to her husband. Oh well then, said I. As I walked away thinking the whole episode was awkward. I should have looked back one more time before shutting the door. I just might have seen her pick up the phone and say: 'She would rather talk to my husband, than talk to me. I don’t think that’s fair on me. Keep all eyes and tabs on her….'
Well that devious communication, amongst the already existing ones. That were already causing me tremendous loss, emotional havoc and spiritual unrest. Surely took off, like wild fire. In less time that it took to spell my beautiful first name. Thorns began to grow and stretch around me. Even some so called friends of mine, became agents of tall-tales, treachery and torment.
They had been unknown, insignificant and irrelevant they felt. And now the higher-ups were recruiting them as spies and informants in my already tumultuous existence. They snagged the offer in a blink. Pot holes were insidiously dug for my demise. Booby traps were everywhere and I confidently, but unknowingly walked into a whole lot of them. Even strangers took a jab at me. Disdainfully chiding me for breaking up homes and stealing husbands.
The thorns closed in, piercing and choking as blood and pure water flowed freely and wastefully. My very existence was challenged as life ebbed away in an already shattered vessel. I still held in my hands, the tools with which I had worked. Tools of sacrifice, empathy, grace, love and charity. I grappled with stabilizing them in my now sinking world, while simultaneously preventing the gush of dirty water that was closing in on me.
As the wicked currents began to drown me and the swallowing sand opened inevitable jaws to receive me. I saw one person digging around the widening hole ruthlessly and systematically, to speed up the process of displacement and destruction. It was now clear, that he had a completely different vision and agenda. With the power to carry it out. For sitting on his head, was the hat of authority.
Next: Wardrobe #3