On this blog I quite often refer to my "job" as a member of management for Wal-mart. However, it is usually more in the comical sense. After my days off I reported to work last night only to discover that one of my associates was killed in an accident. After leaving work around one in the morning he stopped to help someone on the side of the road. As the two were changing the stranded person's tire, a car sped by clipping both of them. Regretful both my associate and the other person were killed instantly. As of this morning they still hadn't caught the people who did it.
After nine years in management and supervising a number of people now well into the thousands, this kind of thing never gets easier. Standing in front of my overnight crew and announcing that one of their own wouldn't be reporting to work that night. Listening to the group of unloaders that he spent so much time getting to know talk about their feelings. Even the simple things of seeing his name on our assignment system and having to leave his name unassigned.
As an artist I've always claimed that we are deeply impacted by people around us rather they know it or not. This young man's presence could light up the room. You couldn't walk by him without an attempt for him to make you laugh. He would do anything for anyone who asked, so when they told me how the accident happened it did not surprise me that he had been helping someone even in the end. This artist will never forget him nor will the Wal-mart manager inside of me.
Oh my gosh Veronica....reading this gives me the chills as I think of a very special young man who you and I had the prividge to work with. I think of him often even after these many years. I will never forget pulling up outside of his trailer and seeing his grandfather come out with the news. He was such a gentle spirit. It broke my heart that he could not see how very special he was to the rest of the world. He is still sadly missed and always will be.
ReplyDeleteTerribly saddened by your friend/colleague's death. And of course the other person involved in the tragic accident.
ReplyDeleteIt appears your friend made the most of the present, giving little thought to the future. He sounded a very nice man and I'm sure will be sadly missed.
How terrible! I remember a guy I worked with years ago. He passed out those giant suckers and always had a joke. Then one day someone else was doing his job. We learned he had died that night. We so often take our co-workers for granted, but we spend so much of our lives with them, they are more like family.
ReplyDelete