"I'm treated far better than I deserve thanks!"

A couple of nights ago I bumped into my long-time friend Alan in Sainsbury's. He stood by the chiller cabinet....closely scrutinizing his shopping list in one hand and an 8 pack of sausages in the other. "Isn't it scandalous" I observed..."how prices are going up all the time." For a second or two we nearly went into one about grocery inflation, and then instinctively realised we were heading towards a grumpy old men conversation and pulled back just in time. Alan and I go back many years when we both joined Golden Wonder as young ambitious Divisional Sales Managers and we like to think we haven't changed much in the subsequent 30 years. And I always smile inwardly with nostalgia at Alan's retro 70's hair style....although it's snow white now. Of course we have changed. Both divorced. Twice in Alan's case. Bit heavier. A bit wiser....and that's not because we started from a low base as Golden Wonder Sales Managers!
Both fairly healthy....considering!!! We were certainly encouraged to live a certain life style in those GW days. Our boss Keith had a terrific attitude to motivation which was to start by treating yourself well. Of course we followed his teachings faithfully. Good restaurants. Posh hotels. Well stocked drinks cabinet for home entertaining. All claimed on the expenses budget of course. What we may not have realised at the time though was that this apparent self-indulgence did motivate us to do our best. What Keith was doing of course was creating the trappings of success and because we behaved as if we were successful we made sure that we were successful. We felt like winners and we were obliged to be winners.
30 years on we still recognise that attitude in ourselves. The expense funded meals have gone although we both still have the Cross pens. But more to the point we learnt and still practice that philosophy feel that life is treating you well and you will want to repay it by doing your best with life. We shared stories of our current successes, particularly Alan's offer of a Sales Management role. "At 62!!" And agreed that today's breed wouldn't hold a light to us ex-GW managers. And then we were off, stopping at the chiller to get some of that delicious Italian Red Grape juice that Sainbsbury's sell. "This stuff has that anti-ageing ingredient" says I. "Righto" says Alan, "Give us one here!"