Underground

Let's get the news out of the way first. I am gainfully employed by the largest manufacturer in the medical uniform industry. It is not a clear distinction to be a sales manager because everyone you meet in this company is a vice president of some sort. The compensation is an adjustment from before, but that is a common impact of this new world we find ourselves in. Not complaining because it is 1000% better than where I have been for the past 20 months. So, in the words of the old spiritual..we have overcome.

My first day was Monday and it involved getting on a crowded airplane and flying to Vegas for a national sales meeting. Instead of filling out forms, and being pointed to the restroom and the free coffee, I spent 3 hours on a plane, then stepped into a meeting where at least half of these guys would be my responsibility.

It was fascinating to see the reaction to my introduction. Some were wary, some were indifferent, some were gracious, all were curious. The introduction was made in the midst of sea-change for the entire company. I was merely a small functional part of that sea change. For the next two days I was bombarded with information and questions about the restructuring. Fortunately I was able to play my clueless card and avoid most of the questions.

So for the next two days I sat through meetings about product and marketing and IT and territory and sales management. Dinner followed the meetings and then late to bed. It was Wednesday morning when we checked out and stood in the cold, misty morning in front of the hotel that I realized that I had not been out of the hotel since Monday at noon. For the past 2 days I had been underground.

It is disorienting to spend that much time, fully active, not sick, and indoors the entire stay. Hotels with casinos probably are designed that way. They want you to lose track of time and day. If they can bombard you with sound and ply you with food and drink, then they have you slightly imbalanced and unable to make lucid decisions. When I think back on the people I noticed at the slots or at the blackjack tables, or roulette tables, none of them looked happy. There was a range of body languages, but I wondered if the ones that looked the most dispirited were the longest tenured guests.

I'm sure that I looked like a bear coming out of hibernation that first exposure to outside air. I stood there transfixed and breathing deeply the refreshing outside desert air of the Vegas morning, glad to be shed of the clanging noise of the slots and the infiltration of the indoor cigarette smoke. The ride to the airport took far too long, and the flight couldn't depart soon enough.

I was glad to be back above ground and headed home.

Godspeed to the new travelers in the coming year, it will be a good one.
Don