| It is surprising how valuable lessons can be learned | | | | matter of our verbal agreement and your |
| from one's computer letter archives; which often | | | | commitment to abide with all office |
| seems easy to dismiss as a heap of unwanted | | | | policies--foremost of which is to stay with the |
| files. I was pleasantly surprised with this one, and I | | | | office for not less than one year. As they say: a |
| thought it needed to be shared. If only to remind | | | | verbal contract is as binding as a written one. In |
| us that we must constantly and consistently be | | | | fact to me--it is even more binding. At least, that |
| true to our words. | | | | is so for those who reconcile with the fact that a |
| My case in point is a letter which I wrote several | | | | piece of paper with promises on it and bearing |
| years ago; which I have "rediscovered" quite | | | | one's signature is not essential for those who can |
| recently. The following is my actual letter to an | | | | be true to their word. A critical matter, when it |
| office apprentice who found it convenient to | | | | comes to living up to the ideal--as a real and |
| terminate her term before it was completed. The | | | | sincere person. |
| name given below is fictitious, to protect her true | | | | Just because we have not placed our |
| identity. | | | | commitment to each other on paper, you seem |
| Dear Carmen, | | | | to have fallen into the incorrect notion that our |
| This will acknowledge receipt of your 13 May 04 | | | | commitment to one another is not mutually |
| letter, where you graciously informed me that | | | | binding... or just an empty promise. Let me stress |
| you are resigning from your apprenticeship with | | | | that this should not be so. |
| the office. | | | | With no ill feeling in my heart, I trust that you |
| It is with deep disappointment that I accept your | | | | have learned something from me; even if it were |
| resignation. | | | | just the final lesson in being true to yourself. |
| As I do so, allow me to call your attention to the | | | | Good luck and Godspeed. |