A candle snuffed out

There are times when you work with all your heart, and put in every bit of your being to create a system. No one sees the work behind it. No one ever acknowledges your effort. The respect you deserve is never accorded to you. You are taken for granted. You aren’t even noticed because no one has ever had a chance to complain. Worse, all that comes your way, is criticism and envy.

And then one day, you move on. That edifice that you created is no longer your masterpiece. Someone walks on it. Treats it casually— worse callously. You watch your creation of decades crumble bit by bit — with neglect, insensitivity and  brutality. You don’t have a say. It doesn’t even have your signature on it. It was community property.

Does one have a right to complain when they see their work erode? Who do they complain to? The new artist who doesn’t even think it is a creation in the first place. Or the blind leadership, to whom you are just another cog in the wheel to keep the office machinery working.

The day leaders begin to acknowledge people and their contributions, organizations will grow vibrantly. Encourage the worms of mediocrity and you will get the organization you deserve — stagnant and moribund. Unfortunately, leaders who have the courage to stick their necks out and speak up when it matters are far and few. They determine the fortunes and the futures of the people who work towards excellence. In their attempt to be equal to all, they encourage a culture of crass mediocrity. Many a creative spark has died because of someone’s silence.

Today, I felt someone snuff out my candle of creativity yet another time.