24 Minutes I Can’t Get Back

Expecting last month’s Residents/Management meeting to be the same old boring stuff, with old folks complaining about nothing, rehashing things that didn’t matter, I skipped the meeting and opted for a nap instead.

Learning later that members of the Residents Volunteer Activity Committee had taken over the meeting and staged a coup, I made a point not to miss this month’s meeting, which was yesterday.

Arriving at 2:45 for the 3:00 meeting, I waited as the room filled up, not at empty seat.

The atmosphere was loud and raucous with everyone chitchatting with each other, all at the same time, as we waited for management to show up.

At 3:10, I began looking at the clock.

Nothing irritates me more than having my time wasted – well that and family members having children they can’t or won’t support. Other than those two things, very little knocks me off center.

At 3:20, I began thinking how rude it was for the management group to leave us waiting. Though they probably think we have nothing else to do with our time, it’s our time and just as valuable as theirs.

At 3:22, I texted The Seer, seated on the opposite side of the Community Room, that I had better things to do and, if no one showed up in the next 60 seconds, I was leaving.

At 3:24, I walked out.

I can’t think of anything that could compel me to ever attend another Residents/Management meeting.

Checking with the folks this morning, no one could tell me exactly when the meeting started but, when it did start, the only management person to show up was one of the maintenance men.

WHAT?!

“What happened to the Community Manager?”, asked I.

“She was in her office the whole time. She didn’t feel well.”

“Well, what happened to the Assistant Manager?”

“She was sick.”

The Assistant Manager has been plagued with some mysterious illness for quite some time, ever since she remarried her ex-husband.

Cause and Effect?

I can't help but think so.

At any rate, her being sick all the time is leaving Community Manager all alone to handle the load for -- weeks, months. 

The long periods of time left alone to shoulder the load seems to have worn Community Manager down. She’s a young woman, seriously overweight, has five kids, and high blood pressure.

It's obvious that it's all too much for her.

Gone is the smile I’m accustomed to seeing on her face, the wave I’m accustomed to getting when she sees me walking by. She now sits in her office, lights off, head down.

I keep thinking she’s gonna quit or get too ill to continue, neither of which any of us would like to see happen because we like her.

I’m sympathetic with what Community Manager and Assistant Manager are saddled with, but business is business. Personal problems should not be brought into the workplace.

I remember when I was in the work force, and there were times when the burden of life was so heavy on me that I'd be in tears on the way to work, in tears on the way home but, in-between I'd pull myself together and muster on. Even when I was in an abusive work situation, I didn't let it affect my output or professionalism.

So though I sympathize with the office girls, the fact that it's gotten to the point where a maintenance man is being sent to do their job is something I can't support.