40 years ago today I started my post- college career in New York City working for a company called Chubb & Son. Probably the biggest day I my life as I went from college grad from Danville Va to a job in the world's financial capital. I spent almost 20 years at Chubb moving up the corprate ladder through offices in NYC, Atlanta, NJ, CA, CT and back to Atlanta in 1982. learned a great deal, made a lot of friends, but since I changed cities every few years some of those friends came and went. But within the company I could maintain contact with many no matter where I was.
I left Chubb in May, 1988 squeezed out by a branch manager who decided he didn't want me around. It was hard to figure out at the time since at one time we were good friends when we both worked for Chubb in New Jersey. I realized that if you ever crossed his path he was unforgiving and reentless in getting even. I saw him hold grudges against folks forever, but I really couldn't figure out how I crossed that line. I found out after I left that he went to great lenghts to bad mouth me to many folks. I also learned that most folks he bad mouthed me to had a "what the fuck are you talking about reaction."
Recently I went to a reunion of many Chubb Atlanta employees. I hadn't seen most of them in years. I was touched by how many of them felt I'd been railroaded by my branch manager. While there Linda Hayes told the story about how he had come to my office smoking a cigar. As he walked in she said I told him " George, if you want to come into my office leave the cigar some where else, if you need to smoke it we'll meet outside or in your office." I had no recollection of that encounter but Linda said George was silently steaming. Maybe that episode was my undoing, maybe it was something else. I do recall that if anyone ever pissed him off, he stayed mad and vengeful forever.
As long as we never cross paths again it won't matter. If we do I'll most likely kick his ass. Not because he shoved me out of Chubb, where I'd be way ahead financially, but because I wound up losing touch with lots of folks I really cared about--and who cared about me. My hope is the Chubb connections I'll make down the road are the ones who matter.
