So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!

Well, I’ve managed to get through my final week at the Seattle Times. When I first started working here I thought it was just temporary. Little did I know it was a job I would learn to love.

When I first got assigned to work with my sales rep, Mikel, I was terrified. He took me out to lunch and asked me, “Why the hell do you want this job anyway? Don’t you know this is the most difficult desk in the company? I’m going to make you cry.” Even now I don’t remember what possessed me to accept a position working with a person who would threaten to bring me to tears, but I did. And it was one of the best moves I’ve ever made.

Even though the job was very hard, and Mikel was demanding and rude on more than one occasion, we managed to get along. And after a while we even became friends. He learned to respect my boundaries – “No, I will not go to the break room to get you a Mountain Dew and a cup of ice!” – and I learned how to ignore his sometimes cranky and ill-mannered behavior. We became a great team. I admired him for his abilities as the highest revenue generating sales rep at the company, and he began to value and count on my skills as a phenomenal associate.

And no, he never did make me cry.

Mikel understood my frustrations, as it was clear to him that I worked harder than other people in my same position, but received the same pay. Without his support I think I would have left the Times a long time ago. However, working with him kept me busy and entertained for the most part, and I enjoyed coming into work every day.

Coincidentally, it was Mikel who got me my new job. A person who I thought I would never in a million years with learn to interact with as a co-worker actually became a friend and person I trusted. Even though he knew it would be detrimental to himself, Mikel choose to support me and went out of his way to help me find a new job when it became clear that the Times was a dead end for me.

And today at my going-away party he really pulled out all the stops, along with some other co-workers who have become my friends. Not only did they prepare an awesome potluck where everyone from the department brought something, but Mikel went out of his way to pick up and pay for a specialized cake from some fancy bakery downtown. Usually our manager just buys a cheap nasty sheet cake. Not only that, but when I came into work I was presented not only with a card covered with farewell wishes, but a robin’s egg blue bag… yup, you guessed it.
They had bought me a gorgeous silver Tiffany necklace to match the bracelet Mikel had recently given me for helping him make his most recent sales goal. I didn’t know what to say, it was way too much to accept. I just felt so touched that my co-workers cared about me so much to plan such an elaborate going away party. I felt desperately afraid that Mikel would in fact make good on his promise and bring me to tears.

I was filled with mixed emotions for the entire day – exhilaration and anticipation as the hours counted down, and sadness thinking of all the friends I would leave behind. Zoe took me to lunch the day before, and Jesse threw me a fantastic going away party last night. Shannon, Tracy and even Steve came out to celebrate. But I was most touched by Mikel’s unselfish efforts to help make my life better, and I truly appreciate his efforts, despite the glaring typo on the cake!

I really made some great friends while working at The Seattle Times Company representing The Seattle Post-Intelligencer – try answering the phone saying that every day! I will miss the friends I made and am sure that we will stay in touch, but it won’t be the same as seeing each other at work every day. Hasta la vista kids, stay in touch!

“Northwest Classifieds, this is Sarah… signing off.”