In the same vein as the "How to quit professionally" thread, I thought I had done just that with that show choir I had been working with for over 30 years. I had been feeling really good with my time off and planning new things and getting other things off the ground, and one of my other choir director friends suggested I be involved with their festival this past weekend, so I head on out and go do some fun work with this group for the weekend. (No, I wasn't drumming - this was totally non-musical).
Lo and behold, my old director is there with his groups, and in these situations you're going to bump into each other, and what do I get? Silence. Ignored. I wasn't even there.
Without going into the details of what surrounded my departure (which I thought we had agreed on when it happened), I was really surprised that after some 30 years I'd be treated like a stranger and not even acknowledged. Even by the rest of his staff I got the cold shoulder.
I had spent the last 48 hours mulling it over and have come to the conclusion that I don't have a problem with this. If a guy in his late-50s wants to act like he's 12, then I have no control over that. I had a good time connecting with old friends and making new ones, and now I'm doubly sure I made the right choice about leaving. It's a shame though after all the water that has flowed under this bridge - that's the only thing that sorta' hurts. But I've learned over the years that I can't save everybody and definitely can't influence anyone. So despite some awkward moments in the lobby of a theater, I had a great weekend.
This whole weekend made me think, "Did I quit politely an professionally?" And I'm happy to conclude that, "yes", I did. Not that I could do anything about it if I hadn't at this point. Oh well, maybe in a few years we'll run into each other and laugh.
Maybe.
Lo and behold, my old director is there with his groups, and in these situations you're going to bump into each other, and what do I get? Silence. Ignored. I wasn't even there.
Without going into the details of what surrounded my departure (which I thought we had agreed on when it happened), I was really surprised that after some 30 years I'd be treated like a stranger and not even acknowledged. Even by the rest of his staff I got the cold shoulder.
I had spent the last 48 hours mulling it over and have come to the conclusion that I don't have a problem with this. If a guy in his late-50s wants to act like he's 12, then I have no control over that. I had a good time connecting with old friends and making new ones, and now I'm doubly sure I made the right choice about leaving. It's a shame though after all the water that has flowed under this bridge - that's the only thing that sorta' hurts. But I've learned over the years that I can't save everybody and definitely can't influence anyone. So despite some awkward moments in the lobby of a theater, I had a great weekend.
This whole weekend made me think, "Did I quit politely an professionally?" And I'm happy to conclude that, "yes", I did. Not that I could do anything about it if I hadn't at this point. Oh well, maybe in a few years we'll run into each other and laugh.
Maybe.
Thought I quit politely and professionally.....
