Conquering the Catty Beast

I knew it would eventually come. Either one or both directors that took my former position would ask for my help. It was a very complex job, and yes, a job that really was a two person job. I had offered the opportunity to answer the occasional question, and support the transition. You can't work somewhere for 21 years and totally not care, particularly when you remain in the same field and it is mission based work. I have received many calls and e-mails from my former managers, but I think under the radar, perhaps without the new directors even knowing they needed help. I should start by saying I was on very positive professional terms with both of these women,  as we are a small, close knit field.  One of whom I have a friendly out of work acquaintance with as well.

She Facebook messaged me last night wondering if I possibly had any time on the weekend to walk her through some of the past budget things I had developed. I could tell by her message that she was really stuck and not tying pieces together and had a meeting on Monday morning about the project. I'll admit my first thought was to ignore that I had ever seen the message, but then that would have meant I needed to stay off Facebook for the weekend, and I like to "like" or comment on a good post as much as the next person. I did schedule a brief call, walked her through the documents, and answered any questions she still had. It took all of 15 minutes, and she was genuinely appreciative. I felt a little schmucky with my first reaction.

I can get pretty catty when I feel stress, or jealousy, or unappreciated. The devil in me holds this little dream that there would be this epiphany at my former work place that every adverse action my way was wrong, and the CEO and COO would come begging me to come back. That is more unlikely than me running for governor. I am glad maturity and dignity won out. I do not wish failure for my replacements, or even hardship. The fact didn't escape me that she was already feeling the need to be working on the weekend. I wish I had given her a little friendly unsolicited advice, and suggested she not make bringing work home evenings the norm, because it can become the expectation really fast. I ended the call having pushed the schmucky, catty, devil aside and remembered that I have moved to a good place, physically and emotionally.