A new initiative at work – “Wall of success” – has been introduced by the senior managers, who wish us to acknowledge our accomplishments by documenting each instance on a “brick” (please, don’t take it literally; it’s a brick-sized piece of paper) and, provided we have several, gradually constructing a “wall” of success over time.
In order to make this happen, we must abide by the established principle – excrement always falls, by having someone lower on the hierarchy handle the mundane details (that would be me). I work under my Umbrella of humour (watch what falls from above) to extract as much enjoyment as I can while fulfilling my responsibilities; I sent the following to my manager today.
“As we discussed in the last management meeting, please examine the prototype (ref A1) “brick” affixed to the wall behind you for your review, labeled “A1 test brick”. Its dimensions resemble a traditional Imperial brick when observed from the exterior (should you happen to view a brick from the underside, you will find yourself bricked up, and unless discovered, your opinions will be of no significance).
You’ll notice that it is yellow; during our initial discussions, I recall we settled on a classic “brick red” (of which there are numerous shades), BUT I considered that they did have yellow bricks in the land of Oz (note: not Australia). However, a potential issue lies in the fact that these were specifically used to create a road (the renowned yellow brick road). I’ve made the assumption that the abundant supply of yellow bricks produced in Oz could have been, and probably were, utilized for other purposes including walls, in that entirely fictional realm. An additional bonus is that the staff could embody characters from the film, such as the Tinman, Scarecrow, and Lion, etc., as some have certainly exhibited traits reminiscent of those characters before now.
While we did agree on trying to stay as true to a real brick as possible, based on your thoughts, perhaps a yellow brick might be an outstanding choice, unless the concept irritates you….
There is a risk of some misunderstanding between the yellow brick road and the yellow brick wall of success, but there is also a well-known saying “the road to success,” and I believe that by showcasing our usual flair and enthusiasm, this could be easily avoided.”
I also considered Pink Floyd’s “Another brick in the wall” but deemed it to have anti-establishment implications, so it’s better to steer clear.
I look forward to your feedback with great anticipation.
by Jim Aborwhear
