THE MAN IN THE GLASS

When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Just go to a mirror and take a look at yourself,
And see what THAT man has to say.
For it isn't your father or mother or wife,
Who's judgment upon you must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life,
Is the one staring you from the glass.
Some people may think you a straight-shooting chum,
And call you a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum,
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear to the end,
And you have passed your most difficult, dangerous test,
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of life,
And get pats on your back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears,
If you cheat on the MAN IN THE GLASS!

Author unknown

Don says: The first time I ever read this poem I was stunned! It is so true. We go through life, making decisions, doing things automatically, interacting with our fellow human beings without really analizing what we are doing, and how is it going to effect those around us. It is easy in the business world to make decisions that will change the lives of those we hold power over. This is called business, we are doing what we are doing because it is good for business!

I worked for a large corporation in my early business years and made a decision that I later regretted. I fired an employee that I felt was not up to par. It was made in the heat of the moment and I felt that I was doing the right thing. Later, I realized that this man had a wife and family, who were dependant on him. After examining what I had done some years later after I had left the corporation, I felt like a heel. But then it was too late. I should have looked in the mirror at the man looking back at me and asked "is this the right thing to do? Could I have helped the man by transferring him to another position or helping him look for other employment. I am sure the man in the glass would have looked back at me and held me to account. He would have told me that I had let the man down, I had let my lust for getting ahead at my job overcome my humanity. I will never get over the shame I feel, but I hope it has helped me to be a better person.