A Change of Pace - A New Chapter

Today was my last day with Raytheon. Ten years to the day. As one who really hates to say goodbye(s) I bucked any formal celebration but finally relented for a few close friends. We had a small dinner last Thursday evening and then today, there were five who took me to lunch. What struck me the most? There was a book passed among the employees to jot their personal thoughts in; the book was very revealing and I will keep it close by. We have just over 100 at our location and 68 took the time to jot a note... makes one a little misty eyed. Regardless, my thank you to my fellow employees follows along with my instruction to the secretary to not release it until 1300 Local (after I went to lunch), and didn't go back. : ) It 'has' been a good ten years; they took good care of me - but, I was ready. Tomorrow??? May do some yard raking. : )


Debra - please pass to site folks at 1 PM, 28 Feb 06.

Fellow Employees,

I leave today after ten years with Hughes / Raytheon. When I got
the call in February of 1996 I was hoping for just three years. Before
I knew it ten had passed. I decided on my 9th anniversary to depart on
the ten year anniversary, and notified Barbara Smith the morning of the
nine year point...I also told her I'd only say it once. :)

I need to say 'thank you' to you all, for understanding a sometimes
cranky, obstinate and seemingly unbending individual such as myself. I
oft times had little talks with myself 'after the fact', such as,
loosen up, take time to verbalize, chat, shoot the breeze, whatever you
want to call it.... I just never took the time to do so. For most of
my ten years I was just too busy. And now it is over.

Many of you know of my penchant for NOT liking public accolades. Do
I like to be thanked for a specific action or task? Yup, like most, I
surely do... I just don't like it in front of a group. Accordingly,
when I was presented with the book you wrote 'your thoughts', I was, to
say the least, taken aback. It reminded me of my mother and father -
Mom used to say "someone is always watching", and while I used that
saying on my own children, reading your 'thoughts' brought the saying
home. And my father? My father's work brought him in contact with
many different people, people who relied on him for his service. I was
privy to many conversations where they would tell him he was one of a
kind. I'd like to think some of that rubbed off on me, and again, your
'thoughts', so eloquently expressed in 'my book' brought back a flood
of memories - all good. :) Thank you also for the engraved fountain
pen. If you ever tried walking away from my cubicle with one of my
pens you know of my love of pens... Lea Fidler knows (a fellow pen
lover), and she would be jealous of this one. :)

So I leave today, and I thank you - I dislike good-bye, so I will
just say - so long. I'm thinking of a fishing license, something I
have not bought in several years. My wife and I are remaining in the
area although we are looking to down size. (She told me very
recently). We have been lots of places in our day, and we like the Mid
West ethic.

Thank you all once again, and remember - "Listen to Your Mother".

Cordially,

John Wilson