Every morning, no matter how tired we were, or how unresponsive I was, she always greeted me with a "Morning!" The first few months, I didn't know how to respond - I was much too groggy in the mornings to interact with people and most of the guys who sat around me didn't possess enough social skills to partake of traditional greetings. Even my own boss and the other producer who sat on the other side of the table never acknowledged the morning. This whole interaction was new to me at this company.
We were complete opposites. She was a morning person and didn't really eat dinner. She studied theater and thrived in conflict and challenges. She hadn't had a staff position in over ten years, preferring to freelance work whenever something popped up. She had a zen about her that only a tough single career woman in her forties, who's seen her share of BS and bullies in our industry, could possess. And the best part about it - she still retained a strong sense of moral integrity. You could never push her around but she'd also never step on anyone to get things done. I couldn't figure out if I wanted to grow up to be like her or not.
On her first week, we were talking about a mutual client and she told me she could read a person within 5 minutes. I marvelled at that skill and said I wished I could do that. She looked at me wisely and said "With time."
On her last week there, she looked at me with a mixture of compassion and resignation. She had had enough. And apparently the powers that be knew that she wasn't a good fit either. I wouldn't find out for 2 more days.
On her last day, she gave me a hug and simply said "good luck." Then she waltzed out of there without any bitterness, already looking forward to her next adventure. She lasted almost a year at the company and I was just beginning to get used to having her around.
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