Work yesterday produced modest sales, mainly because my competition dogpiled me! There was, at times, three reps from the competition actively selling products to my singular presence. Hard not to be crowded out in the literal and figurative sense!

My boss paid a surprise visit to me. Wanted to check in, see if I was alright, that sort of thing. After the pleasantries, she presented me with a gift. It was a new cell phone (One we had been learning about), and not a cheap device either! 5G capability, screen resolution better than some TVs, decent sized screen, 256GB storage. $350, those devices run. I was dumbfounded, speechless, and definitely grateful.

It was a token of good faith I didn't expect and one I haven't had in a long time. I found myself saying, when I recalled the scene to a friend, "It was nice to have someone in charge believe in you and your abilities. I've rarely had that." In recent years, I've had bosses, by their actions and sometimes flat out, say they'd rather fire me than give me any credit where credit was due or responsibility where responsibility was requested.

It's a great feeling, when someone actually appreciates your work!