My Vote

One of the arguments always made in favour of voting in an election is: "One person can make a difference."  To which most people respond: "Oh please."

If Americans didn't learn this valuable lesson in their last election, hopefully Canadians will today during their election.  Choosing which 'devil' to go with.

But one person CAN make a difference.  and here's my story:

Many years ago, I was working in a department where through the most unusual circumstances, everyone got along.  they got along so well, that they'd get together for lunch and watch movies, or go outside and play volleyball.  The boss recognized this camaraderie and encouraged it through special events, birthday lunches (there were a lot of staff members with birthdays in November, so we'd have a big pizza lunch and watch a movie and the boss would have a gift for everyone in the department).  We'd go on retreats and spend a weekend together.  We'd watch sports games together in a back room.

And then everything changed.

Mary, Mary (quite contrary) joined the department under unusual
circumstances.  She'd actually told her boss off (f--- off to be exact) and when the head of human resources was told about the event, he came down right away and said:  "We'll find somewhere else for you to work.  Where would you prefer to work instead?"

What?  Whatever happened to "You're fired!"?????  Did you hear what she said to her boss, fer cryin' out loud!?!!?!?

So, sure enough Mary, Mary has heard great things about our department and wants to join the party and immediately takes over another person's job.  They're out.  Gone.  Finito.  And that's without telling their boss where to go.  How's that for being unfair?

Mary, Mary arrives and starts arguing with people left, right, and center.  People start fighting back.  She cries and suddenly, she calls in sick.  Someone else says something to her and gets her upset.  Suddenly, she calls in sick.  Again.  and people clue in.  They start making a list of what makes her cry and use them once a week, just to make her call in sick.  It becomes the new joke:

Person #1 - "Good night, everyone!"
Remaining 10 in the office - "See ya!  G'night!"
Person #2 - "See you in the morning!"
Remaining 9 in the office - "Yeah!  Have a good one!"
Person #3 & 4 - "We're outta here!"
Remaining 7 in the office - "Yep!  See you guys!"
Mary, Mary - "I'm going now...  I'll lock the door behind me, okay?  Okaaayy?"
Remaining 6 in the office - "Go already!"
And the next day she calls in sick.  Gotta love it.

The joke continues for months, then years.  One day, after I've moved out of the department, a couple of the gang come by and invite me for birthday cake.  It's the third birthday of the month and we had my goodbye lunch that same month.  Somebody else makes a joke that we're like that Seinfeld episode where we have a cake for every occasion.  I smile and say, "We should have cake whenever Mary, Mary's sick."  Both friends laugh, "We could have cake everyday! quot;  She'd missed nearly a month of work (1 or 2 days at a time) already that year.

The department was miserable.  The lunchtime movies stopped because she complained about the noise level.  She refused to give her birthday (not birthDATE, just the day) to everyone because she witnessed the party held for 3 people hitting 50 (she's 48 --I know how old she is).  Then, THEN she started hiding people's mail if they'd insulted her.  One person's credit card bill disappeared every month for a year before the mailroom set her up with a personal mail slot.  Finally, she requested an extended leave when her bird (her freakin' BIRD!) died.  It was denied, but that didn't help giggles around the office.

This year, finally, she'd requested a leave of absence (granted with a capital GR!).  there's been 2 extensions on that LoA, but no one's actually complaining.  Every once in a while, I carpool with my old boss from that department.  We were talking about people on leave (there were a couple parental leaves in the department as well) and when they were coming back.  There's one very talented guy who returned last week and the boss couldn't be more excited.  At that, I didn't have the heart to ask him when Mary, Mary was expected back.  She's destroyed everything that was great about that
department.

That's one person, who ruined work for 32 others.  Why? Because one person can make a difference.

And that's why I vote.