LAST WEEK
Every couple of years or so, I document my schedule for a week, just to take a snapshot of a typical week in my life at different stages of my life. But this week has been no ordinary week. For today is my last day at work, after ten wonderful years. So for the sake of documentation, I want to record what this past week has been like.
Monday, August 22. I had a bunch of errands to run in the morning, so I ended up getting into work at 9:00am. I went out to lunch with a friend. And I left work at 5:00pm. For the last ten years, I’ve probably done one of these three things, on average, once a week. That day, I did all three. As I was walking home, I thought to myself, “So this is how most of the modern office workers do their days.”
Tuesday, August 23. Our training department is in transition, so we had the first of what will likely be several big-picture meetings. I also met with a couple of staffers who are taking on departments I used to run, to help orient them to their new responsibilities. I left the office around 6 to meet with a friend, but later that evening Kanye West held a concert in our event hall. I hear he’s pretty popular, so I guess it would’ve been nice to stick around and hear him perform, but frankly I think by the time he started I was already in bed.
Wednesday, August 24. In the morning, my boss and I met with a potential funding partner to discuss future possibilities for collaboration. And then in the afternoon, I put on my grant writer hat and plowed through as many foundation and corporation proposals as possible for our youth program. I left the office around 7 after a whirlwind of letters of inquiry, proposal cover sheets, and narratives.
Thursday, August 25. Our organization christened it “Lee Huang Day,” and treated me to a breakfast, lunch, and evening reception in my honor. It was funny to receive the same plaque at all three functions, and to give the same thank-you speech three times in a row. I was touched by a “hat” ceremony the staff did for me at lunch, where different people took turns putting a hat on me to signify the many roles I’ve played here. Best of all, my wife was able to join me at the evening reception and I was able to acknowledge her role in helping making the last ten years possible.
Friday, August 26. Last day, last walk to work. I took the time to soak in my surroundings on my four-block commute. Here’s what I see, in half-block increments. Locust to Walnut, on the left there is a chain of thrift stores and on the right some random businesses and residence. Walnut to Sansom, on the left there is an empty lot and a corner store and on the right a mosque. 45th and Sansom, I was told, has had a high rate of murders over the last ten years, as reported in the local paper, but this goes to show you how the neighborhood is changing: to the left and the right are recently renovated homes and on the corner is a new playground. Sansom to Chestnut, on the left is an apartment complex and on the right some residences and a business on the corner. Chestnut to Ludlow, there’s a Catholic high school on the left and on the right a row of burnt-out homes that is being renovated. Ludlow to Market, on the left is a complex of low- to moderate-income homes and on the right is some rowhouses and an auto body shop on the corner. As I turn the corner and head west on Market, I see the elevated train line to my right and my office building looming to the left. I swipe my access card, which I will turn in later today, and head into a nicely air-conditioned facility to start my last day at work.
Every couple of years or so, I document my schedule for a week, just to take a snapshot of a typical week in my life at different stages of my life. But this week has been no ordinary week. For today is my last day at work, after ten wonderful years. So for the sake of documentation, I want to record what this past week has been like.
Monday, August 22. I had a bunch of errands to run in the morning, so I ended up getting into work at 9:00am. I went out to lunch with a friend. And I left work at 5:00pm. For the last ten years, I’ve probably done one of these three things, on average, once a week. That day, I did all three. As I was walking home, I thought to myself, “So this is how most of the modern office workers do their days.”
Tuesday, August 23. Our training department is in transition, so we had the first of what will likely be several big-picture meetings. I also met with a couple of staffers who are taking on departments I used to run, to help orient them to their new responsibilities. I left the office around 6 to meet with a friend, but later that evening Kanye West held a concert in our event hall. I hear he’s pretty popular, so I guess it would’ve been nice to stick around and hear him perform, but frankly I think by the time he started I was already in bed.
Wednesday, August 24. In the morning, my boss and I met with a potential funding partner to discuss future possibilities for collaboration. And then in the afternoon, I put on my grant writer hat and plowed through as many foundation and corporation proposals as possible for our youth program. I left the office around 7 after a whirlwind of letters of inquiry, proposal cover sheets, and narratives.
Thursday, August 25. Our organization christened it “Lee Huang Day,” and treated me to a breakfast, lunch, and evening reception in my honor. It was funny to receive the same plaque at all three functions, and to give the same thank-you speech three times in a row. I was touched by a “hat” ceremony the staff did for me at lunch, where different people took turns putting a hat on me to signify the many roles I’ve played here. Best of all, my wife was able to join me at the evening reception and I was able to acknowledge her role in helping making the last ten years possible.
Friday, August 26. Last day, last walk to work. I took the time to soak in my surroundings on my four-block commute. Here’s what I see, in half-block increments. Locust to Walnut, on the left there is a chain of thrift stores and on the right some random businesses and residence. Walnut to Sansom, on the left there is an empty lot and a corner store and on the right a mosque. 45th and Sansom, I was told, has had a high rate of murders over the last ten years, as reported in the local paper, but this goes to show you how the neighborhood is changing: to the left and the right are recently renovated homes and on the corner is a new playground. Sansom to Chestnut, on the left is an apartment complex and on the right some residences and a business on the corner. Chestnut to Ludlow, there’s a Catholic high school on the left and on the right a row of burnt-out homes that is being renovated. Ludlow to Market, on the left is a complex of low- to moderate-income homes and on the right is some rowhouses and an auto body shop on the corner. As I turn the corner and head west on Market, I see the elevated train line to my right and my office building looming to the left. I swipe my access card, which I will turn in later today, and head into a nicely air-conditioned facility to start my last day at work.
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