Lament or Not Lament...That is The Question.

It's fitting that luck would shine upon me today...when Irish eyes are smiling.

A sales call. A company I have worked with, and for, in the past. A technology company: Ingram Micro Inc. http://www.ingrammicro.ca/

A lunch meeting with 15 prospective clients, all under one roof. A tasting of my boardroom lunch offering in exchange for their undivided attention.

I bestow the virtues of our food and service and am scrutinised, and not solely on the merit of the food. I almost always find it ironic that while selling things people are putting in their mouth, they are most concerned with what is coming out of mine.

And so I tell them the truth, they're busy, and I don't want to waste their time...or mine. The highlight reel flows from my tongue with the confidence reserved for the Boss. Reserved for someone whose livelihood depends on what he says coming to life in future days...by the hands of other team members.

"Your food is delicious and fresh". "Thank you very much..." says I, "...It is prepared with whole food items...nothing from a bag or a box".

"I have a question" she says. "How do I know a whole host of extra charges will not appear after the event is complete?" "We'll..." says I, confused to be honest, "...if the item does not appear in the contract you sign, I cannot, in good conscience, charge you any extra." She's satisfied, and so am I, knowing that I'm telling the truth.

People come in and out of the luncheon, apologising in both directions, and while my initial reaction is to become perturbed that I am not the centre of their lunchtime universe, I can comprehend. This is not, much to my chagrin, the most important thing they will do today.

And so we chat about my successes and how it applies to them, and we discuss my failures. Healthy I suspect to do both in an open forum. Healthy to sit at a table I have set with complete strangers, and disclose how "my bookkeeper in the past did not in fact mail an invoice...because she wanted to save me the stamps" (insert me mentally biting down on my fist).

"Your logo does not seem to depict all of the services you offer" says another. Again, honesty prevails and I respond "You're right" and my mind drifts to that place where time and money is infinite and I have a stable of designers reacting with clicking mice at my every graphical whim.

The meeting closes quicker than anticipated but as they reach for their handheld holsters, I know the end is near, the allure of the vibrating devices is simply too strong. Waiting another moment to see what's behind the flashing red light is simply not an option, and what's worse...I can relate.

As this is a technology company after all, it was inevitable that both the mood and conversation would gravitate toward how we are ultimately plugged in all the time. "My blackberry is essentially an appendage" she responds, and I process that statement. A tool for certain, but a third arm? Steady on.

But as the group thins and all that remains is my associate and I, plus two of them, the elder of the two pronounces how "I do not even turn on my computer when I get home, and I don't have a blackberry". She goes on the say, with her eyes turning to glass, that she almost lost her husband, in a split second, and it taught her that life is precious. It taught her "that the message on the phone will wait...but the moment with your child will pass".

We pause, at the thought, and her candour, and thankfully her associate responds that a little company called Sanyo has recently instituted a policy that employees turn off their phones during designated times of day. This is to ensure that people recognise the importance of family and harkens back to a time when one could actually and truly leave the office.

I shudder at the thought of being forced to turn my handheld off and, more importantly, at the Orwellian, albeit well intended monitoring processes of Sanyo.

My associate recognizes my look and pre-empts whatever I was about to say with a simple conclusion:

"On their deathbed, no one ever laments about spending too little time at the office."

Indeed.