Super villains

"You aren't given respect, you earn it."

So many times I've heard that phrase, yet I've consistently taken the hard way. It's not in your credentials, it's not how many toys you have, it's not who your parents were. It matters not how rich your are, what your position is in the company, or if you ride a Kawi 250. It's not about trying to please everyone either (you do that, you're everyone's b***h).

Sometimes however, getting that respect is like shooting a piece of paper a mile away with a Super Soaker 50. No matter how hard you try to be pleasant and professional, some people will act like brats because they want to be the star, not you. They want to stay in the limelight. They want other people to see that they're better than you because they got there first, they're older, or they've marked their territory and you're a threat.

I guess I'm at a point where people think I've outstayed my welcome or outlived my purpose. Maybe that's why I'm so at peace to leave. And so I leave what I called "my office" with the bitter thought below, paraphrased from Spiderman.

"And they found you amusing for a while, the people here. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them -- eventually -- they will hate you."

I achieved hero status when I started. It was good while it lasted. Now, I'm just another staff member who quit after the expected three-year turnover in this office, just like my predecessors. And yes, they go into greener pastures and achieve greatness. Maybe that's where Green Goblin was right in the end, "why bother?"