I am still praying, for all victims (including myself). I pray for divine guidance, and for divine intervention. I do believe in the power of prayer. I pray that all victims get paid, and that the powers that be do the right thing for all of these people who desperately need their funds.
Yesterday, I was reminded of a story from early in my career. I was in my early 30's and was working for Mobil Oil in Sales. I absolutely loved my job, but worked for a horrible manager who treated his direct reports very badly. He was extremely critical, condescending, degrading and he would attempt to strip his people of all of their value. This person had no compassion. (He was actually worse than Brian Royce). I took him to HR numerous times. One of my colleagues wrote him up as being the worst manager she had ever worked for, at the time of her resignation. I remember she told me her teeth would clench when she got on the phone with him, and she began having dental problems. It was a very long 4 years for me, and he ruined many careers including mine eventually.
One time he was scheduled to come out to travel with me, when I was living in Cincinnati (just up the hill from P&G HQ). Oh my gosh I was dreading it, and I was praying about it right up until the moment that his plane arrived from Chicago. I was waiting at his gate, and watched as every person got off the plane and he never got off. My system went into high alert--oh my God, did I miss him? That would have been grounds for punishment. I went up to the counter and asked if he was on the plane and was told yes, he had boarded. I searched the airport in a panic. I went to the pay phone to check my voicemail (long before everyone carried cell phones). No messages, nothing. After half an hour, I decided to go home, fearful that I had left him there and the ultimate punishment would be coming.
Two or three hours later, I got a call from him at home. He explained that he had gotten on the wrong plane. When he went to board, there were two planes, and he walked into the wrong door, and he flew to Albany! Then he had to buy a ticket back home to Chicago, because it was his error. Oh I celebrated! Small example of divine intervention but a very cool one.
I left that job eventually, moved to higher ground. He was later removed from leadership altogether, and went to work for a competitor. A few years later, he called me. He was working for someone in leadership that was treating him badly, and he said that he now realized how he had treated me. He asked me how I survived working for him, and asked me for advice on how to survive his current manager. Did I help him? I did. My family couldn't believe that I spoke to him. I guess I had forgiven this person. I didn't forgive him for him--I did it for myself. Because holding onto all of that anger and resentment did me no good. I moved to higher ground.
Sadly, a few years later, his 21 year old son died suddenly. He died of an undiagnosed heart defect.
True story.
