Perfect to the Penny

At some point in our careers, we may find ourselves part of an obsolete operation, such as a downsizing, business insolvency, or even a single retail store closing.

This can be a time of positive reflection for us, if we "step back" and ponder the good things that have happened, as well as all the new things we have learned.

Such was the case for us, not long ago.

Our store was closing. I could take the time to list all the shoulda, coulda, woulda items that may have made a difference, and perhaps even have saved the store, but at this point, it doesn't matter anymore. This is written to add human perspective and feeling when considering impending change.

We had already had our last "store meeting". It turned out to be a barbeque at someone's home.

Our store manager arranged for all of us to be at the store together for a one hour window of time. He bought everyone a tall fruit smoothie drink and we just sat around and talked and laughed.

Then it occurred to us that this would be the last time all of us would ever be together at the same time again. The store would close, some of us were moving, and we would all go our own separate ways, forever.

We had made efforts to let others know who had worked with us in the past that the store was closing. I had written a poem about the event and had given copies to all who I thought may care. It went like this:

"Remembering When"

Where does one begin?
How does one collect the thoughts
The feelings and essence of an
Era that has come to a close?
To simply put words to paper
Does not convey the yearnings
The hopes and excitement
The companionship and triumphs that
Were waged and won
Individually and as a team
As we strived for the best
In each other and collectively
To make a success of our dreams.

And now, at it's passing
We reflect on the special times
The sweet times
The personal times of joy and tears
Shared among us, for us and
Because of us for
The essence of life
Was not within these walls
But within the heart
The mind, and the blood
Of those within.

We will always look back
On this time of our lives
With a smile on our lips
Remembering friends
Remembering when....

The reaction was mixed. Some replied, others said nothing. The original manager who had opened the store at the first called and spoke with me. He had figured it would happen, but was surprised when it came so soon. He had appreciated the poem.

Another girl who had worked in the past was shocked when she had received a mass mailing notice sent to our past customer base that we were closing. She came in with her husband one evening to ask if it was true.

Most others have made no response.

I am the only one left who had been there when the doors had opened for the first time. I was there at the birth of hope and opportunity, and now I would be there when they pulled the plug of life support and see it die.

As we sat and talked and joked and fell silent, we knew we would never see each other again. We shook hands, hugged, and the party dispersed.

Without realizing it, I ended up alone to close the store that night. I didn't know I was scheduled alone on my last night in before the store closed for the last time.

I locked the doors, as I had done so many times.

I counted the register, consciously, for the last time. The cash was right on. It was perfect to the penny.

I made out the deposit and printed up the daily reports.

"Funny", I mused. I printed up reports for a day when no one had cared to keep track of the hourly sales. It was the first time we had not kept track.

I bagged up the garbage and set it by the back door. I turned off the lights and just stood there for a moment. I would never see this or feel this again.

I carefully punched in my own security code and set the alarms...for the last time.

I picked up the garbage bag to toss in the trash bin outside and opened the door to leave.

I smiled.

It had been fun.

I closed the door behind me, for the last time, and quietly walked away.

Bob Curtis has been writing articles, short fiction and poetry for over 30 years. He is currently themanaging director of people4people.blogspot.com, and is the president of Nexus Publishing, nexus4u.blogspot.com, in Midvale, Utah.

no-contract cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

Perfect to the Penny

Positive Attitude Tips