The Golden Boy

I'm on Spring Break this week, which translates into my wife's language as, "Hot Damn, I can give him a list of things that's at least 4,000 times larger than usual! Time's a'wastin." Therefore, I might not be posting as much to the blog as I'd like. I guess I'll need to go back to work in order to free up some spare time...

I was planning to create a blog yesterday about all the blooms that have popped out, and how we're on the local Floral Trail of homes. But, "the list" got the best of me. Then, I was going to create a blog today about a conversation we overheard last night at a restaurant full of really, really bad Southern accent imitations. But, bucslim diverted my attention with one of his comments about Listverse on the previous blog, so I guess you can say a different type of "list" got the best of me this time.

"Cubby" made an observation about Listverse that rings true with me concerning the downward spiral. I do remember a time when I couldn't wait to get on Listverse to join in with a dozen different conversations that were all heading in epic directions. Although I've never liked the comments section of the Mainsite, I always felt like the Forum was where the grownups played, and common-sense decorum prevailed. However, at one point, I noticed a "youthful" attitude that began creeping into the language and demeanor of the mods and some of our newer members. I'd seen that happen before in other places, and I was concerned.

As we all know, things happened and transpired. When I left the Listverse Forums, I really left for good, and I haven't been back since that final week when I logged on to capture some of my posts and delete my photos. Therefore, I don't have any idea as to what has been happening since then, and it's not a topic that has come up with any of my old friends. A good Southern gentleman doesn't linger, whine, and wallow. Instead, he knows how to stick to his word, gather up his dignity, and move on.

However, Cubby's comments made me wonder whether or not us old-timers had the rug pulled out from under us, or whether or not we were just too old and stubborn to adapt and evolve. I don't know. But consider this:

At our favorite restaurant, one of the original managers left two weeks ago in a huge blow-up. He was one of the first three managers, and he's one of the owners of the company that was set up to run the corporation (they now have three restaurants going strong since that original one opened in 1991). He always had his pick of the best shifts, and he was always off every Saturday and Sunday - he'd earned it. He was fairly brutal to work for, but he had to be in order to keep his college student employees in line. Suddenly, two weeks ago, he missed a manager's meeting, and reacted with a nuclear explosion when the owner called him on it. As she saw that he was deeply upset, she tried to back down, but before she could retreat, he quit and walked out. Nineteen years with the company were gone just like that. He has a wife and two kids - one of whom is special needs. He landed on his feet several days later by landing a manager's post at a local pizza place, but everybody at the old place was hurt and bewildered. Nobody saw it coming.

As my wife and I talked it over yesterday with the owner, my wife began to notice a pattern. She wondered if perhaps he was feeling a little left out since all of the new managers and shift leaders were much younger than he. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off over the owner's head, and she exclaimed, "Oh my God, that's it!"

ALthough this guy had been there since the beginning, he'd developed a reputation among all the employees as the least flexible person in the whole company. It was so bad that you just knew not to approach himm with anything that involved "changes." While all the other newer managers were coming up with all kinds of fresh, innovative ideas to grow the company and expand, he was getting left further and further behind. The older guy just wanted to be left alone and enjoy all the great times he'd been having all these years without having to ruin everything with all those damn changes.

The owner told us that in one of their brief arguments over his departure, he quipped, "I guess I'm just not the Golden Boy anymore," and she didn't know what the fuck he was talking about. But after my wife's insight, it all made sense to her. The owner realized she'd been showing clear favoritism and open praise to the team members who were willing to change, adapt, and move forward, and this guy was being totally left out.

So, is this what happened at Listverse? Were the old-timers bumped out by newbies who didn't respect our history, or were we victims of our own sedation?

Thoughts?