I don’t care if you are going to a dinner party, a rager, a bar-b-que, working at a job, or serving in the Congress of the United States. There is something that every person needs to know, regardless of what it is they are attending. You need to be aware of when it’s time to leave and do so on your own accord.
I have to give a little history to my thought process here. I was working in radio sales back in 1996 when Bill Clinton signed into law the Communications Act of 1996. Up until that point, you could only own seven AM radio stations, seven FM radio stations, and seven television stations. After that point, it was Katy bar the door! And that began a massive buying spree from corporate America. Before that, broadcast media just wasn’t big enough for most of the corporations out there to own.
So, it was a Tuesday morning, and I had gotten to work early because I had to do a remote broadcast from an optician’s business. The sales person was always there in case the talent needed anything or there were any problems. I got a phone call that said, “Get back to the station immediately!”, so I left.
When I arrived, I walked into our sales department, and the sales secretary was in tears. “Oh, you don’t believe what’s been happening! We’ve been taken over by another station’s owner and they are firing the sales staff. So far out of ten sales people, only one has made it. We don’t know about you…you’re supposed to go in and meet with the GM right now.
I walked in and learned I still had a job. The body bags continued to pile up that day. 34 people in all, lost their jobs in the consolidation. And I vowed as I watched my colleagues clean out their desks, that I would never fall prey to leaving that way. I would walk out on my own terms.
When I finally retired in 2011, they threw a luncheon for me (I really didn’t want anything special done). I stood up and addressed everyone and said, “I have had the honor of working with some of the greatest names in radio. I have watched as people have come and gone over the past 29 years. And today, I’m leaving because I decide to leave. Not one of you will stay here forever. My advice to you is simple. Know when the time is right for you to leave, and walk out on your own. Never be shown the door. You’ll feel much better for it.”
And so it is in the United States Senate. Diane Feinstein is 89 years old, has served 30 years in the US Senate. She has gotten to the point where her memory is shot. She can’t remember what she is voting on, where she is, where she needs to be, and her staff has to orchestrate her entire day, and keep reminding her what it is she is supposed to do. Without her staff to support her, Feinstein would sit in her wheelchair unable to do anything. Her time to leave has come and gone. She’s now at the point where everyone is calling on her to resign. That’s not a good thing. And it’s the only thing she’ll be remembered for in the long run.
The lesson to learn from Feinstein is, don’t overstay your welcome anywhere. When the time is right to leave, then gracefully bow out. You’ll be happier up the road. With Feinstein though, she probably would never remember that she left. And that’s just sad.
Carry on world…you’re dismissed!
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