The Good Is Great, The Bad Forgotten…Until Someone Reminds You

Last week at a lunch meeting with a former co-worker I was asked if I missed working at my old job. I thought about it for a second and responded yes, in fact I did miss it.

I clarified to him that what I really missed was the people and relationships. My mind wandered to literally hundreds of people I worked with for the last 5, 10 or 15 years and great memories flooded my mind.

Seeing staff grow, develop and get promotions, dinners and hang time with clients or co-workers, travel buddies, conventions, attending weddings, bringing my daughters to “work with daddy” day, positive changes, victories, parties and celebrations.
Great memories.

Then yesterday I had a series of meetings at the old job site with several people I used to work with. All was going well until one person reminded me of a couple folks I used to interact with that made life miserable for so many people. She recounted for me a recent meeting that included those "couple of folks" and how they deflated her and others- a common occurrence for sure. It reminded me of hours upon hours of meetings that I attended with them as well.
Bad memories.

I had not thought about them at all in the past year. It is fortunate that we so often forget the bad experiences in life.

Most every person I worked with there inspired or challenged me, some were marvelous encouragers- my boss, my staff, several peers and co-workers from other areas of the business. But there are a few people there, and sprinkled about everywhere in life, that thrive on draining the life out of others.

Why people do this I don’t understand. I hope I forget them again soon.

“May I forget what ought to be forgotten; and recall, unfailing, all that ought to be recalled, each kindly thing, forgetting what might sting.”
-Mary Caroline Davies







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