....to have a real sit down conversation with my boss and listen to him talk about the things he's done over the years.
I came back from the cafe with bought lunch, a big no no for me lately, and found my boss sitting in my office on the phone with his boss. He was on the speaker. I hesitated, not knowing if i should give him privacy or not, but he waved me in. I sat and listened to my boss be told not to attend a very important meeting that is coming up. That was the jist of the conversation that both mortified and pissed me off - and i can only imagine how my boss felt.
He's in his 80's, he has Parkinsons.......it's getting progressively worse. In the past year i've noticed it. But he is still the same brilliant man......it just may take some time for his thoughts to gel and come out of his mouth, and he may fall asleep sometimes, but .......HE'S in his 80'S for christ sake.
This man has been here for almost 50 years. He has not only the knowledge but the history of this place. He was a freaking Nuerosurgeon and has advanced degrees in Mathematics as well! He's been working on computers from the very begining of computers......programming them. He knows all the computer languages. He built the program i coordinate single handedly and yes, it is complicated. He knows it inside out, all the why's and wherefors........he is the creator.
It's been hard for me to watch him struggle, but i know it's much harder for him. And this call, which was done as respectfully as possible when a call like this is made......I'm sure it hurt him. How can it not? He's been a highly functioning member of this organization in different leadership capacities for 50 years. And now, they don't want him to attend a meeting because he falls asleep sometimes, had "bad" days, and may take a bit to get his thought out. He has the knowledge, it's just getting it out that gives him difficulty on some days.
Is this ageism? Is it discrimination because of his illness? He would never say that. He is a proud man.
And he sat and talked to me for almost an hour about the call, the program, his history at UConn and all the things he did BEFORE and during UConn. He had his own business when he was in Medical school. Can you imagine? I could listen to him talk about his life and achievements for as long as he wants to talk.
His plan is to get his Ph.D in Mathematics because he hasn't yet. That is his RETIREMENT plan. And then there was talk about quantum computers.........way over my head.....and going to MIT in the spring.
WTH??? And this stupid organization has the audacity to not appreciate his genious because it takes him some time to express it.
I'm heartbroken for him, but at the same time, fuck that. If they don't appreciate and value him than fuck em. Let them figure it out on their own. No skin off his nose anymore.
We are all hopefully going to get older, and slow down, and yes, fall asleep sometimes because we don't sleep at night anymore. So we get to the ripe age of 80's after a lifetime of accomplishments and then.......become inconvenient.
I value him. I am in awe of him. He is the smartest man i've ever MET and had the absolute gift of working with. I've learned more from this man in less than 2 years than i have in my professional lifetime.
It's too bad for the "youngsters" that they aren't smart enough to value his experience, knowledge and know how.......wait till he's not here in July. The shit will hit the fan.
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