Good morning, GN -- sheesh, I’ve gone down a rabbit hole this morning looking for something in the bowels of my computer’s files. Haven’t found it, but I did find this old wheel post of mine and thought to re-post. Fifteen years later, I still admire Miss Emily’s courage.
Over the years, like everyone, I’ve stayed at jobs I didn’t like. When I was married to my first wife and struggling to support a family, I even stayed at one job, and kept my mouth shut, where the operation was unsafe and engaged in illegal activities, because I needed the money. And like everyone else, I’ve quit more than a few jobs. Since marrying Mrs Sven, I’ve quit or resigned three of ’em. The first one was more or less a mutual parting of the ways. In 1999, I quit another one-a fairly lucrative consulting position. That year was a rather bad time in my life, but I was also frustrated with management and what I saw as unscrupulous behavior towards our customers. The last time I quit was in 2002 and from another consulting company that was even less ethical than the previous one.
But all three times that I’ve quit over the last 20 years, I had the luxury of quitting, of standing on my moral high ground. I was fairly young, marketable, in good health, and had money in the bank. I could shoot my mouth off, leave, be out of work for a period of time, and then start earning again. Did we lose a lot of money while I was out of work? Yeah, but it wasn’t crippling and I knew I had time to recover-and that was a factor in my decision. If in the workplace, confronted by clearly illegal or unethical behavior, with real consequences to myself, what would I do? Don’t know. I hate to say it all depends, but I guess it does. I know there’s some lines I won’t cross or allow to be crossed within my knowledge, but I haven’t been tested lately. So I just don’t know. I should, but I don’t.
I remember though when Miss Emily was posting about the troubles at her workplace and her decision to resign. I dug through the archives to find her letter of resignation cuz I remembered how impressed I was at the time; how courageous I thought she was, and still do. With everything on the line, she searched her soul and made her choice. Hers was a good lesson and I thank her for it. When confronted with difficult choices in the future, I hope to remember how she faced hers.
May 21, 2007
To: Honey Creek and the Board of Trustees
With deep and profound regret, I hereby offer my resignation from my position of office manager/registrar of Honey Creek. I cannot begin to express the joy I have had from eight years of serving the people of the Diocese of Georgia and the guests of Honey Creek. This past weekend I had the honor of serving on team for Cursillo #110. The weekend was a vivid reminder of what serving the Lord really is- giving of yourself unconditionally, giving of yourself joyfully, giving of yourself freely, giving of yourself without hope of gain and always receiving more than you have ever given. This is the ideal of service I have striven for in my years at Honey Creek and I can only hope that I have achieved this ideal in small measure.
In the past two months I have begun having problems with high blood pressure. The doctor believes that it is not actually hypertension but a symptom of stress and anxiety. I can easily identify the source of my stress and anxiety and that source is my job at Honey Creek. I cannot work in an atmosphere where management takes no blame for its own shortcomings, where fault is found where there is none, where priorities are so skewed it makes the daily operations suffer and where fear, doubt and deception is the norm of a typical day.
I do not offer this resignation lightly. In practicality, I know what I am losing. I lose my income and I am the sole wage earner for my family. I lose my health insurance at a time where I am having health issues. I am losing my annuity at an age where I have no chance of saving for retirement. And beyond monetary losses, I lose so much more. I lose the joy of serving my extended parish family, the Diocese of Georgia. I lose the daily interaction with my extended personal family, the Honey Creek staff. Above all, I lose the joy of serving the Lord at Honey Creek.
I do not offer this resignation with any idea of what the future holds. I have no other job to fall back on or any idea what I can do. I have no savings. I am terrified but already feel a burden lifting and a lightening of my spirit. God alone knows my future and I trust in him. I wish all the best for the future of Honey Creek and those who will serve there.
Good morning, Sven, and thank you. I do remember Miss Emily resigning and it was so sad. I could relate to her conflict. Always sad when people have to suffer for doing the right thing, but too common.
Good morning, GN -- sheesh, I’ve gone down a rabbit hole this morning looking for something in the bowels of my computer’s files. Haven’t found it, but I did find this old wheel post of mine and thought to re-post. Fifteen years later, I still admire Miss Emily’s courage.
Over the years, like everyone, I’ve stayed at jobs I didn’t like. When I was married to my first wife and struggling to support a family, I even stayed at one job, and kept my mouth shut, where the operation was unsafe and engaged in illegal activities, because I needed the money. And like everyone else, I’ve quit more than a few jobs. Since marrying Mrs Sven, I’ve quit or resigned three of ’em. The first one was more or less a mutual parting of the ways. In 1999, I quit another one-a fairly lucrative consulting position. That year was a rather bad time in my life, but I was also frustrated with management and what I saw as unscrupulous behavior towards our customers. The last time I quit was in 2002 and from another consulting company that was even less ethical than the previous one.
But all three times that I’ve quit over the last 20 years, I had the luxury of quitting, of standing on my moral high ground. I was fairly young, marketable, in good health, and had money in the bank. I could shoot my mouth off, leave, be out of work for a period of time, and then start earning again. Did we lose a lot of money while I was out of work? Yeah, but it wasn’t crippling and I knew I had time to recover-and that was a factor in my decision. If in the workplace, confronted by clearly illegal or unethical behavior, with real consequences to myself, what would I do? Don’t know. I hate to say it all depends, but I guess it does. I know there’s some lines I won’t cross or allow to be crossed within my knowledge, but I haven’t been tested lately. So I just don’t know. I should, but I don’t.
I remember though when Miss Emily was posting about the troubles at her workplace and her decision to resign. I dug through the archives to find her letter of resignation cuz I remembered how impressed I was at the time; how courageous I thought she was, and still do. With everything on the line, she searched her soul and made her choice. Hers was a good lesson and I thank her for it. When confronted with difficult choices in the future, I hope to remember how she faced hers.
May 21, 2007
To: Honey Creek and the Board of Trustees
With deep and profound regret, I hereby offer my resignation from my position of office manager/registrar of Honey Creek. I cannot begin to express the joy I have had from eight years of serving the people of the Diocese of Georgia and the guests of Honey Creek. This past weekend I had the honor of serving on team for Cursillo #110. The weekend was a vivid reminder of what serving the Lord really is- giving of yourself unconditionally, giving of yourself joyfully, giving of yourself freely, giving of yourself without hope of gain and always receiving more than you have ever given. This is the ideal of service I have striven for in my years at Honey Creek and I can only hope that I have achieved this ideal in small measure.
In the past two months I have begun having problems with high blood pressure. The doctor believes that it is not actually hypertension but a symptom of stress and anxiety. I can easily identify the source of my stress and anxiety and that source is my job at Honey Creek. I cannot work in an atmosphere where management takes no blame for its own shortcomings, where fault is found where there is none, where priorities are so skewed it makes the daily operations suffer and where fear, doubt and deception is the norm of a typical day.
I do not offer this resignation lightly. In practicality, I know what I am losing. I lose my income and I am the sole wage earner for my family. I lose my health insurance at a time where I am having health issues. I am losing my annuity at an age where I have no chance of saving for retirement. And beyond monetary losses, I lose so much more. I lose the joy of serving my extended parish family, the Diocese of Georgia. I lose the daily interaction with my extended personal family, the Honey Creek staff. Above all, I lose the joy of serving the Lord at Honey Creek.
I do not offer this resignation with any idea of what the future holds. I have no other job to fall back on or any idea what I can do. I have no savings. I am terrified but already feel a burden lifting and a lightening of my spirit. God alone knows my future and I trust in him.
I wish all the best for the future of Honey Creek and those who will serve there.
Your servant in Christ,
Good morning, Sven, and thank you. I do remember Miss Emily resigning and it was so sad. I could relate to her conflict. Always sad when people have to suffer for doing the right thing, but too common.
Good morning, Mac.
I remember that as well. Thanks for finding it and posting it, Sven.
Good night, my friends.
Good night, Sven.