So today is one of those days I hate – a day where I have to say goodbye to one of my wonderful colleagues and team mates.
To be honest, she doesn’t actually leave till Friday – but I bugger off to the UK tonight so for me, this is the last day I’ll see her.
Debi has been in China for about 6 years and at W+K for about 18 months and in the time she has been here, she has cemented her reputation as a wonderful planner, colleague and person … and to say she’ll be missed is a massive understatement.
In the time I’ve known her, I have been lucky enough to pretty much see all sides of her character.
She is kind, generous, smart, empathetic, open, warm, involving and very, very weird.
Maybe it’s the fact she comes from Canada or maybe it’s because she’s just a wonderful freak – but I can honestly say that despite only having worked together for a year, there are things she has done that I will never forget for as long as I live.
To be honest, most of them would require you to have ‘been there’ for the full impact – however turning up 7 minutes before a major meeting pissed out her head [it was everyone else’s fault, apparently], spending the day exploring a sex supermarket and claiming it was part of our monthly ‘planner safari’, eating more fried chicken than an American red neck before a flight because she “hadn’t tried that brand before” and arguing that the reason she wouldn’t reach over to unlock a passenger car door is because she’d be too busy “looking at the car mats” are just a couple of the lowlight, highlights.
Despite having had to sit next to me for the last 6 months and going through the sorts of trials and tribulations that would break most people [ie: sitting next to me for the last 6 months] she has maintained her wonderful sense of optimism, humour and mischief and at a time where planners are seemingly sounding more and more like emotionless robots, Debi’s infectious, effervescent energy makes people want to work with her, rather than run and hide.
I have always been of the belief that the job of a boss is to give their people experience and exposure so when they decide to leave, they get a better job than they might otherwise of achieved but in Debi’s case, she’s leaving for an even better reason.
Love.
On Saturday, the day after she finishes her wonderful work on LEVIS, she heads over to Portland – without a guaranteed job, though she’ll be snapped up in an instant – to go and be with her boyfriend, a creative at W+K.
I think that is brilliant.
Of course I am absolutely gutted she’s leaving, but anyone that chooses life over a lifestyle gets my vote which is why as sad as I am that she’s going, I am also immensely proud and happy.
Debi, thank you for everything. It has been a genuine pleasure knowing and working with you and my life is better for the experience.
Enjoy everything and don’t change a thing about yourself.
Except maybe your thumbs.