My legacy
20 06 2008I was just forwarded this email from my wife who works at a company I left about a year and a half ago.
“Hi everyone,
Today is my last day at XXXXX. I enjoyed myself here at XXXXX since October 2006. It was a pleasure working with, and getting to know everyone here. I will smile whenever I think of Moy singing We are Family, Breaking News, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Friday 3:00 pm barnyard noises, and the 3:00 pm flying monkey. Please keep in touch.”
When I started working at this company, everyone sat in a large room known as “the pit”. It was a 1500 sqft. hell-hole filled with lunch room tables which sat 6 people to a table. The room as accurately named as it was a nightmare to work in.
Well, one Friday, when I stopped caring whether I got fired or not (which 2 years later, I finally did), I brought in a flying monkey. The flying monkey has elastic arms that are used to slingshot it about 30 feet or so. As it flies through the air it makes a terrific monkey scream. It’s about the best thing on earth.
So at 3:00PM this fateful Friday, when everyone was buried in work, I pulled the monkey out and shot it across the room. As it screamed over heads, half the people jumped out of their seats and the other half ducked for cover. Everyone had a good laugh, except the managers (who had offices by the way).
The next Friday, I did it again. And the next, and the next. Eventually I was fortunate enough to move to a semi-private office in a different part of the building. But still, I showed up every Friday at 3:00 to shoot the monkey. If I wasn’t there at precisely 3, I would get instant messages and emails from angry monkey-lovers.
When I left the company, I handed over monkey duties to a friend, who kept the tradition alive until a few weeks ago when he left. I assume, he handed it off to someone else upon his departure.
I love that I was able to create a tradition, it’s a neat feeling. I also love that, to this day, the VP and upper management absolutely despise the monkey.
