Changing Times

Several years ago, about this time of year, I lost my job. I was not bad at what I did, I just refused to BE bad at what I did.
"Times have changed," I was told."
You have to finesse the laws and regulations" I was instructed."
You will do what you are instructed to do" I was informed.
The problem is that I cannot finesse integrity
I wonder at the ease with which laws are broken in the name of a saved or skimmed dollar.
Who ultimately pays for this "savings?"
It is either the person working to produce or the unsuspecting public.
When the ugly "shortcut" rears its ugly head in the form of an accident or inferior products, the guilty scurry to cover their tracks and to disclaim any knowledge.
There is so little integrity left in corporate America these days. The banking bailout, General Motorgate(where the taxpayers are left holding the bag) Golden parachutes for the CEO's who have ruined both companies and retirees are common. They are handsomely paid off and sent into a luxurious retirement.
There is no shame left in the committing of corporate crime.
It is one thing to read about this type of thing in New York or California, but it reaches down into the smaller local corporations; it knocks on the door and is welcomed in...I have seen this greed, this lust for more and it is ugly!
The company I worked for once had a sterling reputation. I went to work for this company because I respected the men who ran it.
I am not sure when the dollar became the sole goal, when taking pride in service, when encouraging employees and making a fair and decent profit ceased to be enough.
I am disillusioned and sad. What saddens me most is to see first hand the downward spiral of the men I once held in such regard.
I was raised by a father who was steeped in American work ethic and honor. He proudly wore the uniform of the United States Army. My father drilled into me honor and integrity. I have not always risen to the benchmark he set for all his girls, but my shortfalls have been quite minor. I have not lost the pride I have in honesty and integrity, in a fair days work for a fair days pay.
I was offered the opportunity to join these men in benefitting from "just bend the rules a little".
I chose not to. I chose not to stoop low...and I said so...I called wrong..just what it was...wrong...and I was fired, first and only time in my life.
So, I am self employed. I take pride in the work I do, the service I offer.
Did my leaving the company make a difference? Can one person make a difference?
Standing up for honesty and integrity in our lives is imperative if we are to answer for ourselves at the end of the day. It is imperative that we set an example for this coming generation who is watching...it speaks to who we are..it speaks to who we choose to be....
A country western song says " You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything"
I choose to stand