We all need an "Ol Roy" in our life!

My old buddy is back and I am certainly glad. It is Wednesday, October 14, 2009 and I am happy to report my back-talk buddy is here and ready to deal me some misery. Roy is a senior guy here in our company. Since we have been slow he has been taking some time off to get caught up on his ‘rat killing’. Our operational review meetings have been missing his caustic comments that always gets everyone’s attention and makes our time together a happening event. Yesterday was his first meeting in the last three months. I decided on an early strike approach trying to gain from the surprise factor. I told everyone I was so glad to have WOR back with us. Everyone knew this abbreviation stands for ‘Waiting On Roy’. Each week that’s how we indicate the reason we are running late on any particular project by using the WO and then adding the initial of the guilty party. I threw that one out but he chose to respond with only a fixed, cold, hard stare.

I then offered to the group my explanation for why he didn’t move to Montana, which is the place he always talks about going to when he retires. I told them he had finally checked out my concerns for his health and found that no matter where he would choose to live he would still be a minimum of two hours away from the nearest Medicare clinic. This brought a small groan that slowly turned into a moan and then the color in his face flashed as he snarled out that he didn’t know why I was always jawing about his need for Medicare since I am the one who goes to the doctor all the time. Heeeeee’s Baaaaaack! We all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the genuine Roy showed up. Silly? Listen, we are here each day for most of our waking hours, therefore, shouldn’t we enjoy it as much as we can?

Roy also dearly hates it when I speak about how much I’ve missed him and how really great it is to have him back. As I was leaving I announced how good it made me feel just to see him sitting at that desk again, only half awake, and sometimes, stone cold asleep, but there, at that desk, and we are all better off for it. He has forgotten more than I will ever know about the metal fabrication business but he’s a neat old dude, and he knows I respect him so much, even though I love to pull his chain. He considers me to be an office boy who can’t do much more than shuffle papers and I often accuse him of having to study for a blood test. And so it goes. Forth and back. Back and forth. But there’s just something that makes it seem right. Welcome back Ol Roy, glad you brought your old ugly self back to where you belong. Now you folks go and have yourself a great day and share a laugh with someone - - today! May God bless. Amen. …..More later.