By Shannon Williams
The month of July was a month of goodbyes for me. These goodbyes were all connected with work and work friendships, but what really is a work friendship? Is it one that only lasts while you both work at the same place or is it one that carries one after a change has happened? As often happens in the work world, sometimes contracts are lost and then the professional relationship ends. The time leading up to this ending is often not a fun time as there is usually a valid reason for the contract needing to change, regardless of whose end that is on.

In my case, the property that I oversee in Pittsburg left our company due to an outside reason, neither myself or the staff of the site were ready to part ways. I had brought this property into our company three years ago and put a great deal of time and effort into helping them come up to the standards they should be at. We were successful in many areas and all was well until an outside influence decided that this partnership was not meant to be.

The contact ended on June 30th and I flew up to give our employees their final check as part of our company and wished them all well. While there were many mixed feelings about this whole event, it was a goodbye and I was sad to see them go. I work with the managers very closely and you get to know a person well during that time. I usually talk with them everyday and work to resolve many issues and then it stops. You say goodbye, wish them well, and hope that you have taught them what they needed to know to be successful. But do you end the friendship or was it really a friendship? You want to stay out of their new way and new company. I guess it is just part of business, but I have always felt close to those I work with, you spend so much time together and often deal with very difficult times. Covid this past year was one of those difficult times and we had to support each other as we changed just about everything we did.

Then this week, I traveled back to our Corporate office to take part in the retirement party for a dear work friend. She is in HR and we often traveled to bring on new sites, or when needed fire an employee. We did so well on these trips that we began to travel together for fun and had great times. I spoke to her several times per day, as when you oversee so many employees there is always an issue! We have plans to travel some more, so I know it is not goodbye but it is a change and I am just sick of changes for now! We decided to spend her first day of retirement (last Friday) in San Francisco. Our offices are in Oakland and I don’t get to make it into the city on my trips as much as I want to. We had a wonderful day, going to the wharf, and doing all of our favorite things. I have been to San Francisco many times and for years, but nothing beats a beautiful summer cool day on the bay, or should I say the other bay area?

We had crab and clam chowder in those wonderful bread bowls. We shopped the ferry market and I wanted to bring home so many of the food items they have, but bringing home fresh pasta and all of those goodies is hard on a plane. We ended the day with a great pedicab ride up and down the wharf just taking in all of the sites. Had I known ahead of time that the Astros were in town, we would have tried to get tickets and go to a game at the best ball park! But there will be more times shared with my friend and our friendship will continue past our daily working life, but most don’t. I miss my work peeps when things change. I wish we had work reunions like we have class reunions, but we have Facebook which is a good way to stay in someone life after a good bye.

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

[August-3-2021]