Chapter Seven

Her Job Resignation Zone

Hester Wright decided to quit her job. Today was to be her first day back at work after serving an undeserved 30-day suspension period. The suspension had given her time to organize her priorities. She did not want to work for the substance abuse agency any longer. There was no practical reason to give notice of her resignation because she had not seen any patients during the suspension period, anyway. As a matter of professionalism, however, Hester would end her social work career with the same decorum with which she had started it many years ago. Hester picked up her letter of resignation from the kitchen table and took a deep breath as she entered....Her Job Resignation Zone.

Hester suddenly felt young again, as though her life were just beginning. The fragrance of her own perfume prompted the memory of one of her middle school teachers, Mrs. Newheart. That was when it all began, all this old-fashioned striving for excellence and achievement. It began in Mrs. Newheart's social studies class. Oh, how Hester loved school in those olden days! Learning was exciting. Mrs. Newheart had a way of making knowledge look like bright red apples on the tree--free for the grabbing.

Mrs. Newheart would always try to introduce her pupils to advanced levels of learning. She did this in small portions, just enough to stimulate a young person's mind to pay attention and to become curious. Mrs. Newheart even had her own personal banner hung across one wall of the classroom. Hester could not remember clearly what it was made from, but it appeared to have been handsewn. Thinking back on those days, Hester now realized how much extra work Mrs. Newheart had put into her teaching.

The motto on the banner, like Mrs. Newheart's perfume, must have left a lasting impression in Hester's unconscious. That unconscious memory was now starting to surface.

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit.

That was it! Aristotle. Mrs. Newheart had tried to form excellence in her pupils, as well as to get them curious about Greek philosophers. That was where little Hester had developed the habit of excellence, an appetite for learning about people, and a desire to wear nice perfume. In Hester's tender mind, all three somehow went together.

Hester took another deep breath. She gave her letter of resignation a last proofreading--the habit of excellence still going strong. There were no typographical errors, and the wording of the letter was appropriate. Hester had nothing against being average, so long as average meant that the individual was doing his best. She only objected to average as a goal. The goal should always be excellence. Not perfectionism, not compulsive checking, not rigid control--just excellence. Striving for excellence is the best way to show respect for the people who need us.

Hester felt confident of her decision, comforted in her memories, and optimistic in her spirit. Having gotten a negative employee evaluation and a job suspension prompted her to look at reality and create a new phase of her life. Hester's career had been extraordinarily productive. It was time to make a change. Besides, Hester had Aristotle on her side! What more could a 77-year-old social worker ask for? Right? (Written 07/19/04 - Reprinted 12/01/10)