Friday, May 18, 2012

Robert Keatley


As corny as it may sound, learning about what my grandfather did is what really meant the most to me. So often we take the elders that we have for granted and when they are gone, we regret not speaking to them more about their lives and their experiences. Just sitting and listening to my grandfather give his life story with his company sort of took me back to his time and place in history. I felt as though I was surrounded by the images of the past that now we only view in movies and history books. It meant a great deal to me and proved challenging to report. I got caught up a few times in the story that I forgot what I was doing or wrote down things that I was thinking only to myself and later didn't make sense. Obviously writing a script is harder than I thought especially when you get into the subject matter.
" Yeahhhh that’s right. Then I became general division manager. As in we had the central divisions the southern, eastern, and western. And I was head of one of those four. So it was kind of a big deal and a lot of responsibility, but that was alright by me. I was with the company for years and they trusted me so I was happy to help my company. You know… you don’t really see stuff like that anymore today. I was with GTE for year and years and years and they paid for my vacations and got me promoted. So they took good care of me and so I worked hard for them. Hell, you can’t find a job like that anymore, because everyone’s greedy and don’t give a damn about you anymore, just money."
For me, this paragraph really sums up the message that my grandfather wanted to get across. Today in this ever changing world, we all tend to lose sight of what really matters and unfortunately, how to treat others and be chivalrous in the business sector is something quickly fading away.

4 comments:

  1. Esah you are right we do take elders for granted. My grandfather was an amazing person and he did great things for our family but by the time I found out all the great things he did it was to late so we should not take elders for granted.

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  2. Esah, it’s good that you find value in family history, and find someone within your family a topic of inspiration. I personally feel, culture has strayed from family value, and has put faith in figure heads that are not worth inspirational stature. We as children and young adults grow up are influenced by steroid induced athletes and drug infested rock idles. Your grandfather worked hard and as he explained displayed a dedication and work ethic no longer seen through people or business today.

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  3. I'm glad you got to know more about your grandfather! Like you said, once they're gone, you wont have that chance again. Also, most businesses don't care about the people anymore, just the company and money. And that, is truly sad.

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  4. It's great that you have gotten to know your grandfather better! Sounds like an inspirational guy.

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