The Different Drummer

A Change of Rhythm

Suddenly thrust into turmoil and facing a significant change, the sale of my drum kit unexpectedly set the stage for reflection.

“Man plans, God laughs.”

– Yiddish proverb

My co-workers and I thought we were gathering for the facility-wide “communication meeting” held periodically throughout the year. The area was noisy as workers from different lines and shifts greeted each other. When someone we did not know stepped up to the microphone instead of our plant’s leader, it was the first sign that something was off.

The person from corporate introduced himself and then immediately spoke the words that would change the lives of everyone in the room:

“We have made the difficult decision to close this plant.”

There was an audible gasp as the statement hit the room like a sonic boom. And then there was dead silence. It seemed to go on forever, but in reality, it lasted no longer than it took the man from corporate to take a breath. He continued to speak, but his words seemed far away and distorted. This was news I had not seen coming and was probably experiencing shock. The words were spoken to explain the reason for…