Just Not Right

I was always taught that when someone does something nice for you, you should reciprocate in some way.  My mother sat by me on countless occasions helping me pen thank-you note after thank-you note after every birthday and Christmas writing notes to everyone who gave me anything.  When I was in college, she would call me and remind about writing a note to thank someone for had done something, so I guess it was engrained into me from childhood. So it is with incredulousness that I shake my head when I don't see the same courtesy afforded to someone who I feel has gone above the call of duty to help someone else, even if what they did was a job.

In the business that I am working in now, it is our job to help others.  We train people on how to be effective in running for office or organizing for the Democratic party in their area.  We give them pointers and help them design literature that will help them win.  It is a pretty thank-less job for the most part so when someone thanks us for helping them achieve their goal it is kind of unusual.  But then again, we one has gone out of their way and done a spectacular job and helped another person win a very tough election, I kind of expect that effort would be noted.

A person in our office did just that.  He helped guide a candidate through an election that could very easily been lost - a tough write-in campaign.  He designed the candidate's literature, ran her lists of people to talk to, gave her pointers on what to do on Election Day, and after it was all said and done and the candidate won by a large majority, the candidate put a letter in the paper thanking everyone except him.  Not one mention was made.  Perhaps this candidate thought the person was just doing their job and didn't deserve a mention.  Perhaps this candidate forgot the work that this person did for them.  Perhaps this candidate was blinded by their victory and couldn't see past the confetti floating down from the ceiling to the person who was largely responsible for the confetti.  Perhaps... Whatever it was, it is just not right, so even though it wasn't me who won the election, I thank him for all that he does to help others achieve their dreams.  I know it's not the same because it didn't come from the person who should have given it, but I thank him just the same.  Thank you, Joe.