Have a Cigar

"Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar. you’re gonna go far, fly high,
You’re never gonna die, you’re gonna make it if you try;they’re gonna love you.
Well I’ve always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely.
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. oh by the way,
Which one’s pink?
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy, we call it riding the Gravy train."
-Pink Floyd
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Tommorow is my last day at the current employer. As usual I would drive home with mixed feelings and look forward to this new adventure which begins a week later.

As is required of a good exit, I have given my current employer notice of my departure 2 weeks back. In the meantime there was another big online payment service company that iIinterviewed with, who got suddenly interested in me and with a dogged persistence are trying to steal me.

They wanted to know what would make me change my mind as does my current employer. Assuming they were bidding low, the hiked the compensation to 20% above my offered package. Then he turns the 'godfather prop' on me saying if I were to compose an offer that I couldnt refuse, what would that be? I tried to explain him that there is this something called 'integrity' which precludes me from accepting his offer no matter how hard he tried. I cannot go back on it. Nope.Doesnt cut the cake. I have told them fair and clear that I have given my word to another company albeit that the monetary benefits being offered were compelling to hear and does boost my ego a bit.(Its very hard to resist such temptations being human but signing on something and commiting yourself to something holds you back nicely).

A 100 years back if you were to ponder over literature of the day these 'intangibles' like honesty, honor, integrity, grace and the likes adorned the everyday aspect of life but suddenly they seem to be in a very far off-distant-idealistic-impractical zone of this modern life that they are not even taken seriously when someone swears by one of those qualities. We have to talk in action verbs and tangibles like numbers, specific benefits, etc in order to sound 'real'.But some things do not neccesarily change just because we dont use the concept frequently in our life or a majority of people dont believe in it (From when did 'truth' start depending on the number of its believers?)

Anyways talking about such things like 'pursuit of excellence' in front of my folks makes me feel weird like I was broaching about some 'taboo' subject. Dont know if its me or environment around me but just doesnt feel right. I hope it is me because that would be easy to fix. I think I have to rent out "The Scent Of a Woman" again just to feel normal (just like some folks do shopping when they are angry). One of my fave quotes in the move that applies to this situation is

" You've been the sugar business for so long, you've forgetten the taste of real honey! "

Speakin of the movie, it would be sad to part with a co-worker who shares many qualities of the character Lt. Col. Frank Slade in the movie.

Anyways I made up my mind in this aspect and I will stick to it and the consequences thereof.