Today was my last day in the office. The whole team is moving to another building 5 miles away and to a new lord/master/tyrant, or in the IT world is also known as: the client.
I don't have any attachment to my office, although I happened to have a corner desk next to a huge window. Office is just an office and actually I have been at war with my PC with its sad capability and tortoise-esque speed. So I'm pretty happy to move to a better environment with PCs with lightning speed.
I however had a hard time saying goodbye to this one little Mexican guy who's always around cleaning the beverage bar, filling up sugar container, making people's coffee.
He knows everybody's name and everyday you see him, he always smiles and be friendly and asks how people's days are.
I came to him in the afternoon and I told him that this is my last day there. He shook my hand with a concerned expression, with broken English he said " It is nice working with you, buenos Suerte... good luck".
He said "People come and people go, that is work. It is very nice knowing you."
I could feel the sincere warmth in his good bye. I wish I can say something else rather than, "like wise" Because I don't know what to say. I'm never gonna see him again. Should I say: "Oh, don't worry, I'll see you again." Or "I'll be around" Or... "Hey, let's exchange email addresses." I don't think he's internet literate. So that was a firm good bye, unless fate has some wicked twist for me, I don't think our paths will ever cross again.
When parting he shook my hand again, and he said something that I thought was another Spanish word, I said "excuse me?"
"Casimoro. That's my name."
"Oh,..." I smiled, " I always know your name."
Then I said bye and walked away.
Oh gosh,... how I hate good byes.
Most people, if not all, with blue collar occupations are invisible. And the rest of us just never bother to greet them, or acknowledge them, or get to know them. The doormen, the cleaning ladies, the bag ladies, the bus boys of the world.
And Casimoro, he persistently offers friendship to people instead of waiting for friendship to come his way. And I'm so so so so so so so glad he did.
I'm pleased to know him.
I'm touched.
I'm humbled.
It's a privilege.
Que Tenga una vida maravillosa, Casimoro.
4 comments:
You'd be surprised perhaps Casimoro has a very full life and keeps a menial job just to provide for his family.
The maintenance guy at my old job spoke broken english and people talked down to him (I am not aying you talked down to casimoro you seemed to have a nice rapport with him) but not everyone at my job treated Sal the maintenance guy nicely. I took time to pseak to him once and was fascinated. Turns out he owns real estate in thecarribean and rents out to tourists he has successful children in business and is happy a s alark
sounds like casimoro must be living a full life to be si friendly to others
Goodbyes are hard
love your blog
you know bluecactus... that was the nicest thing you've said in all your blog... really...very touching.....very perceptive of you..
which is why, all this time, your site is still my favourite blogsite... wishing to receive your wedding invitations..for which i won't be able to attend..
:-(
oh, btw...it's actually lack of inspirations affecting my blog...any ideas? :-)
Well... somehow you're right.... the blue collar workers seems to slip from us. I racalled that I rememember all the face of our office boy, but only actually know some of their name... the on e who often play basketball with me :D.
BTW, where are you moving to? Are you rowking with a client?
Hello Wilson, Wow, it feels like you're back from the dead. How about you make more posts about the lunch-lady. ;)
And Scal, I think the best memory beside Casimoro is one of my old doormen from downtown, who hungout by the pool & swam a few lapses together with the rest of us after his shift.
Oh BTW, nothing really changes about my job, just the whole department was being outsourced to another company. Yada yada yada... boring stuff.
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