The Golden Rule

     When we were doing trade shows, venues were always at a premium.  Competitors will stab you in the back to get the schedules they wanted and the specific spots that serve them best. 

     I had one competitor who was extremely malicious in going about his business.  He often made anonymous complaints with regards to our product profile and claimed that what we had was contrary to those stipulated in our contract.  He spread rumors such as impending cancellation causing clients to back out.  Many times, too, he copied our concepts passing them off as his own; not to mention, his attempts to pirate all my staff. He was successful at times in the premature termination of our contracts with the venue operators.  Needless to say, this caused us loss of revenue as well as put us on shaky ground with our clients.  My staff just hated this guy and some were even threatening to rough him up (just a bit, they would add).

    

     Always I would tell them to simply sit back and watch what will happen in the future.  I was so sure that I would get my revenge sooner or later.  Without commenting on it, I also noticed that practically all our projects were successful and clients were lining up to book their slots.  Because of the threat this competitor always posed, I was driven to come up with better concepts, better implementation and explore additional venues that will be receptive to our ideas.  This went on for years until venue owners discovered that several rental checks from this man had been returned by the bank for insufficiency of funds.  He was getting away with non-payment only because the venue manager was covering up for him.  All his subsequent projects were cancelled and he was practically a pariah at that point.  His own staff abandoned him and even stole his clients away. 

     To be able to survive, he had to contend himself in an area that was far from the hub of trade shows and exhibits.  He was constrained to open a new area but with no money to oil his operation, he did not have the equipment and the booths necessary to set up his exhibit.  Because of his doubtful status, no client wanted to take a chance with him and the few that were willing to sign up refused to cough out down-payment. 

     With no one to help him, the man wisely turned to me, his supposed fiercest competitor! 

    

   I agreed to supply him the booths to start him off.  When he left my office, my trusted employees confronted me.  They were very disappointed and frustrated that I had agreed to help this man who had made their work lives miserable many times over.  I simply reminded them about the times I told them to just keep quiet and open their eyes because this is the payback time they had been waiting for.  Besides, I told them that I never kick anyone already on their knees.  It’s more fun fighting someone in top form!  Pure and simple, it was karma and it was heart-warming to be shown evidence that it really works. 

     In fairness to this man, years after I retired from the industry, a former client commented that with all the invectives this ex-competitor dishes out (up to present) against competitors, when asked about me, all he has are high praises about how excellent my work had been.  Maybe he has finally learned his lesson on karma and maybe, I justly deserve the praise.  He-he-he!!!!

     Recently, I had the opportunity to oversee an event where I slipped and fractured my left wrist.  The accident occurred at a spot which I earlier complained to the venue supervisor as slippery.  I even said something to the effect that it was “an accident waiting to happen.”  Unfortunately, I was the accident that happened.  I had to wait for the debutante and her family to arrive before I could take an official leave.  At this point, my wrist was swollen to double its size and appeared bruised.  No one among the venue staff even offered to call a doctor or bring me to the hospital. 

     The Hubby immediately came to my rescue and brought me to the hospital where my worst fear of a fracture was confirmed. 

     All my kids were upset with Only Son demanding that I sue the venue for its negligence.   Apparently, Only Son has a friend working in the insurance industry who told him that the venue’s insurance company should pay.  What rankled really was the seeming nonchalance of the venue staff over the accident.  All they did was say sorry and that was that! 

     Despite Only Son’s insistence that I sue, I refrained from such action reasoning that I am too old to get embroiled in a court case.  I simply wrote a letter of complaint and sent off pictures of my injury plus out-of-pocket expenses involved.  The Operations Manager of the venue was first apprehensive to discuss matters but upon assurance that I had no intention of suing and that neither am I an irate complainant, we finally discussed matters.  Of course, it helped that I had once before done an event in another venue owned by the same company, dealt with the very same Operations Manager and was totally pleased with their cooperation and service.  First off, I wanted the staff especially the supervisor to be reprimanded for negligence because the accident could happen again.  I requested that, if possible, the ramp area should be remedied because it really was a dangerous area.  Then, I wanted reimbursement for actual expenses incurred.     There was no mention of loss of opportunities, the time being the Christmas holidays when events were at a peak; nor claims for physical sufferings and all of that drama.  We settled the details after the final clearance of the orthopedic doctor.  The incident left me with an arm on a sling but no worse.  The venue owners maybe dented their pocketbook a bit but also no worse.  No histrionics, no problems.   “Until we see each other in the next event” were our parting words.  No rancor, no recriminations.

     A few weeks after, the Hubby and Eldest Daughter got involved in a vehicular accident.  They were at a stop in traffic and Hubby suddenly had the urge to get out of the car to check what was causing traffic to be stuck up.  As he opened the car door, BANG!!!  A motorcycling couple was driving through the spaces between the stopped cars.  Before he realized what happened, Hubby saw a lady sprawled on the street.  As soon as they could manage it, they immediately brought the couple to the nearest hospital.  X-rays were taken and fortunately, there were no fractures seen.  The lady suffered from a bump on her knee which by then was already blue.  Eldest Daughter found out that the couple just came from a job interview as the lady was job-hunting.  She got into the details of job qualifications just to verify if she could recommend the lady in the company she works for.  There being no possibility, Eldest Daughter instead gave them a few thousand pesos which they initially refused because the Hubby had already bought them the medicines prescribed.   Eldest Daughter insisted, however, telling them that because of the pain on her knee, the lady would be sidelined for a few days.  Just to help them with expenses.  They bade goodbye in the best of terms.  No rancor, no recriminations. 

     This incident gave me enormous joy and peace to realize that Karma is always at work as the world turns around.  

     As you do unto others, so it will be done unto you.