Lessons

One of my former bosses had a habit of pompously declaring mixed platitudes.

I only remember one. It is valuable advice, but reflecting on it is quite sad.

He told me several times, "Never move in." You should never make a home in your office. You never know when you will be gone. A family photo and a briefcase was all he needed, and could pick up and go immediately, instead of carrying a pathetic banker's box full of junk to his car.

As I prepare to move on in my career, I follow his advice. All I have is a bottle of hand lotion to slip into my purse, and I've disappeared from my desk, from this office and this life. I never made a home here and was carefully distant from coworkers as I planned my next steps.

Never moving in, never making a real connection, is practical advice. Especially for a job hopper. But even if the connections you make are short, abandoned when you leave for a new company, aren't they still worth while? Why should I stand alone, when I could at least have company for the few months I'm around?

I will only not move in with my personal items. In the future, I should try to befriend my coworkers.