Lucky for me, my boss is pretty lenient when I want to take a day off, come in late or leave early. He doesn’t care why. He doesn’t ask questions (though I usually give him the reason anyway). I just tell him “I’ll be in late on Wednesday,” and it’s fine. It’s probably because I rarely take any time off that he really has no issue when I do. I don’t have to come up with ways to play hooky in order to play golf. One time, the other stinky golfers and I were planning on playing 18 during the week. So I walk into his office, put on an obvious joking, fake cough and tell him…”I got a little cough coming on. Looks like I’m going to need next Monday off.” His response – “Sure. Where are you playing?” So you see what I mean.
So when one of our temporary employees (a college kid and friend of my boss’ son) let us know he would be leaving toward the end of the month to head back to school, the head honcho seemed to have no problem with the two of us ditching work early one day later this week so I could take him out for a round of golf as a “Thank you” for a job well-done this summer. Golf is a useful tool that way. Taking someone out for a round of golf is a way to show appreciation. A way to say thanks.
Golf is also a common denominator. You can have two people who may not have all that much in common, but if they both play golf? Well now, they’ll be willing to hang out with each other for hours one day. That’s us. He’s a cocky, confident, college kid. I’m a pretty laid back, working class guy. I’m somewhere around twice his age…maybe more. Other than the fact that he’s a hard-working kid, I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about him. But I know he golfs, and that’s enough to get me to cut out of work early one day.
Who knows? Taking two people who otherwise would likely not be hanging out, and putting them together on a golf course for a few hours, could lead to anything. Maybe he and I become good friends. Or maybe we don’t talk again until next summer if he comes back to work. Either way, I’m sure he’ll appreciate the gesture as much as we appreciated the work he did. But at the very least, we’ll both appreciate the fact that it’s a Friday afternoon and we’ll be on a golf course rather than at work.
Swing ’til you’re happy!
