They think it's all over...

.. It is now!

So, after walking into the Birmingham Pallasades branch of HMV just over 7 years ago, I left the Bullring branch today knowing that this would be the last time I walk out of there as a store employee. Of course, I'm not leaving the company, but it felt rather bittersweet knowing that I will never return to that store as one of the team. I was the sole member of staff who had remained since Bullring opened and now, just over 4 years after the store/centre opened, I've finally left.

The day started with me lugging the 5Kg tub of mixed sweets for everyone into work. I had written a few cards for all the individual members of the Mgt team and one generic one for the staff, but I realised that I needed to get one for the Loss Prevention boys and one for Blonde M wishing him good luck as the new cashier. The first thing I do when I get to the store is to write out the card to the boys in Loss Prevention. I wanted to let them know that I've really appreciated how they've looked out for me over the years and that out of all the people in the store, I've felt the most camaraderie with them. I shall miss the boys in Loss Prevention a great deal - They're a credit to the store and their jobs, and deserve a lot more respect than they currently get. With that, I dropped the card and a big tin of choccies on their desk.

A lot of today was all "this is the last time I will do this...", but in all honesty, I didn't do anything. I popped out to get some breakfast, then when I returned, I chatted briefly to Rabbi who said that he wanted to have a proper heart-to-heart chat to me before I left. By this time, I had already given him his card from me, so he would have read it, but he said that he didn't want to talk about it just yet and for the first time, I got the impression that he was getting a bit emotional. I personally handed out the cards to all the individuals - Claire P, Pete P, Jim (who was even in on his day off, today), Candice was going to be in later so she got her card later. I don't think any of them expected anything from me, so they were quite touched that I took the time to write a card to all of them individually. I just wanted to let them all know how I felt about them (all nice things!) and this way, I wouldn't show myself up by crying in front of them whilst telling them!. Oh, the only thing I really did today was to play Call of Duty 4 for the DS.

So then, the time came to leave.. Candice and Rabbi both got me a card individually and Candice, bless her, was saying "I love you!" before handing me her card, then running out of the office (literally) because it was time for Rabbi and I to have our chat..

He basically said that he's really happy that I'm moving onto bigger and better things but he's also quite gutted that I'm leaving because it's only now that he's beginning to realise just how much I did do for the store. He appreciated that there were some things I did to make his life easier that I shouldn't have done because if I ever got caught doing so, I would have gotten in trouble. And he realises that things will never be the same because he will never get it so easy as he has done with me. He said that he's really going to miss me not only professionally, but personally too because I'm the only person who could really calm him down whenever he was having a panic attack, and of course, we've been friends for years and he's going to miss me not being around. I've been there since the store opened and people (himself included) are so used to me being there that it's going to take a bit of getting used to the fact that I'm no longer there. He's glad that I'm going to something bigger and better and to something that I should be able to do fantastically well at - There isn't anyone else in the company who knows more about the cash office than myself, so I should use it to my advantage and try to aim as high as possible. Finally, he asked me not to be a stranger to the store - Not just on a professional level, but also because we're such good friends. Never before has the saying "don't be a stranger" affected me so much before. And with that, it was goodbye. He had got me some little presents and a card - a target and gun for firing rubber bands (WOW!) and some Leonidas Belgian chocolates. He told me that they have arranged and ordered a larger present for me, but it hadn't arrived yet. So it should be here for my leaving do next week. He then told me that it's not really something that I will want to carry around with me when I'm out drinking, so I think that I'll have a look at it next week before drinks, then they can lynx it to my new place of work. I'm guessing that it's something Madonna related.. Apparently it's nothing Emmylou related, so that leaves Madonna, Rufus or Teddy. I'm wondering if it's a large Madonna print like the Oasis ones that we got for Rabbi. But still, the fact that they're getting me anything at all is something I find quite touching.

And with that, I made my way out of the store.. I stopped to say goodbye individually to as many people as possible without crying, I managed fine until I headed to the main exit by the counter. John R, Adam LPO and Claire J all stopped to say goodbye, then Candice came over looking all sad. I'm telling them how I've loved working with them and that I shall miss them when I notice that even John R's eyes are looking particularly moist, my voice breaks slightly and I rush the ending of my sentence before I really start to cry. And with that, I walk out of the store for the last time as a member of the team. I don't look back because it's time for me to look to my future and not my past - And with Shawn Colvin's "That Don't Worry Me Now" playing in my ears, I head to the brilliantly bright future that is the next chapter in my career with HMV