My Good Friday Guy Friend Phil
After leaving a job, I find it hard to forget or replace my high-quality colleagues.
My last 10 years of working in Silicon Valley have been the most rewarding both professionally and personally in my life. And now that I’m out of the Bay Area and out of a job, I’m looking back and remembering with gratitude and a bit of melancholia. Honestly, I don’t miss the work, the steady income, and the numerous perks nearly as much as I miss the people.
When I reminisce, I’m not thinking about my noteworthy accomplishments — I had a few and that’s not a humblebrag, I only had a few— rather, I’m recalling the high-quality people I met and worked with over the years. Almost none of these memories of colleagues are about a particular project, a meeting, a brainstorming session, or a work achievement.
Maybe it’s too soon, but I categorize these personal/professional memories as my glory days. I feel blessed to have had so many memorable and excellent co-workers in the past decade. They have made up for the numerous jerks and crazies I had to work with during my first decade in Silicon Valley.
Though mental health experts promote living in the present, I really love to recall experiences with the high-quality people no longer in my daily life. It makes me incredibly happy to…
