She doesn’t get the headlines.
Her name is rarely mentioned. Others get the media attention. Others are approached at the end of the meetings. Others get the emails and letters. Others get the plaudits.
Those others, though, in their quiet time and when they are asked privately will say without hesitation that she is the lynchpin of the organisation. She has never sought recognition and is grateful for whatever anyone says constructively. Her one slight bit of anything above modesty is to refer to her position as the maintenance technician rather than being called a cleaner. She prefers the term technician, she says, because it tells her that she’s not just doing work, she’s contributing to the construction and maintenance of a project of great importance. It was a work that required craft and skill as well as determination and consistency.
That degree of commitment was evident in her 37 years with the organisation. She saw chief executives come and go. All of them said her work was the most impressive of all the others who worked for them. This was not patronising blather.
It made it all the more surprising in her 37th year when the chief executive organised a special day to celebrate her time in the organisation. He spared no expense to put on a massive party for her. A lot of friends and colleagues old and new showed up to pay tribute to her. The gifts brought for her left her overwhelmed. Such was the effort made that she was even slighly concerned that the organisation were letting her know it was time to retire. The chief executive put her mind at ease when he offered his own tribute and made sure she knew that her place was assured and indeed they would be starting a new apprenticeship in her honour and naming it after her.
When it came to her time to share a few words, she was asked what was the one thing that kept her going. Among other things she mentioned the example of her father who showed by example how important it was to just do your best and be as thorough as you can in giving your best time after time.
“Diligence is the key. In any position and area of life – diligence is the key.”
(Photo by Alasdair Elmes on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 