I suppose you think that's funny

Last week I got a friend request on Facebook. What makes it noteworthy is that it came from an old boss of mine. A man who I had butted heads with repeatedly. And not always so gracefully.

We were both working at a Recruitment Advertising agency, which is like AA ball compared to the Big Show. We worked on Help Wanted ads for big companies like Northrop, Bank of America and Kaiser Permanente.

My boss, let's call him Mr. X, took the job very seriously. I was perhaps not as zealous. (This type of scenario would revisit me later, only flip-flopped, when as a Creative Manager I was handed a bunch of writers and art directors who seemed to be in the business for the free T-shirts. That's some karma.)

With the kind of dedication to his craft that one rarely sees these days, Mr. X made it a point to work harder and longer than anyone else in the office. Yes they were help wanted ads, but they were going to be the best damn help wanted ads out there. And if it required Mr. X to give up his nights and weekends, well, so be it. (It was a lesson I was yet to learn but one that came in handy at Chiat/Day.)

When it came time to leave AA ball and work at a real ad agency, I gave my two weeks notice. I also brought my sleeping bag to work and placed it on the desk just to let Mr. X know that if any big projects came up I was ready and willing to work into the wee hours of the night.

Mr. X approached my desk, leaned on the sleeping bag and said, "I suppose you think this is funny?"

With the benefit of hindsight, I see what I colossal ass I was.

But, I still think it's funny.

I hope Mr. X does too.