In Memoriam

I recently went on vacation. A group of us blazed our way to Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights and from there went on a 7 day cruise through the Caribbean . It was a a much needed reprieve from the monotony of school, work, and no social life which resulted. I returned late Sunday, weary and overly tan. I could very well have taken Monday off from work but I needed the money, not the first time I did something foolish for the sake of a quick buck. I did the deal with the Devil and came to work Monday. This time I was just even more so tired but still very tan. Despite my body at the brink of exhaustion, I strode into work largely reinvigorated and ready to take the bull by the horns. However, a dark cloud lingered over the Lumber Department. The aisles were cold and abandoned, the overall state of the department was one of neglect and dilapidation. I found an associate who works at the Commercial Sales Desk, where I once worked as their beast of burden before my transfer three feet over to the Lumber Department. After a pleasant exchange and inquiry into my cruise, he dropped the bomb. It fell upon my as suddenly  and as violently as a nuclear detonation.

Jason: You sure missed a lot, they fired Pat

My Lowe's Life came to an abrupt end. I felt the high I was riding come crashing down with a fury. Pat  is (was) one of the associates I worked with in the department. He is a veteran like myself and he and I also have the same twisted and warped sense of humor that allows us to make it day by day in the world we unfortunately inhabit. We are good friends and it was horrible to hear of his passing from this (Lowe's) Life. His loss was far too great for me to handle, not only was he a good friend but an actually knowledgable and hard working associate. Him and I share the same opinions of the customers we encounter and deal with.

Me: What happened?

Jason: They fired him and Kim a few days ago. They didn't have all the gates up when they were operating the reach truck and Brian saw them and wrote them up.

It's a company policy that when a piece of power equipment is in use, the aisle it is in needs blocked off and a spotter has to be present to ensure customers don't wander blindly into the aisle. The aisle blockers which are basically yellow accordions on wheels with a sign reading, "DO NOT ENTER." This phrase is powerless to the inept and uncaring. Customers will move the sign and enter despite all indications that the aisle is closed. I've chased many a customer out of blocked off aisle. Brian, one of the blue-vested assistant managers saw their incomplete barriers and wrote them up. The two were promptly fired despite the stone-walled intervention and inquiry of our manager, Justin. Justin informed me he feels there is more to the story, a seedy underbelly that higher powers will stop at nothing to keep from the light of truth. In addition to this, Tim, our most competent employee experienced a life altering epiphany while I was gone.

Tim is an advent biker and software programmer, an unlikely combination. He worked part-time and was perhaps our most valuable employee. He was efficient, skilled, and knowledgable. His riding partner dropped dead while he was riding his bike in a park. Tim saw this loss and interpreted it as "Life is too short for me to be spending the rest of my days telling people where the concrete aisle is." Coupled with the unjust firing of a comrade, he made a life choice and quit. In the span of a week, we lost three people. Every loss stings as our manpower is now down to thread bare. I was angry and confused, yet it was all already done, nothing else could come of it. So, I went to where we have an "office" which is just a space where junk is stored behind the Commercial Sales desk and pinned up a paper, which reads:

In Memoriam

2013

Tarrell

Patrick

Kimberly

Timothy

"Tis better to have loved and lost; than never to have loved at all"

-Tennyson

Tarrell was another casualty inflicted a few months ago, a lively and sly associate who was very energetic and fun. He too fell prey to the machinations of management.