A modern retelling of "The Healing at the Pool"
He had sat in the same chair, at the same desk, in the same cubicle for years. He was completely impeccable with his job. He loved it so much, he never thought about changing. Yet, minor changes always occur, such as upgrading the chair, installing a new computer, and so on.
Everyone considered him to be the best support technician in the office.
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His home away from home for years -- Image created by ChatGPT imaging.
New employees would see this neatly dressed older man with a gray beard, always there. They had no idea how long he had been there.
His cubicle was the third one in a row of six. That row was the furthest from the windows. He kept his area very clean. Hanging on the wall of the cubicle was a name plaque, "George Buroughs".
George was a stickler for rules. That was his thing.
When it came to company policies, product support, 'how to' stuff, and fixing problems, he was the go-to person. Jane had sat across from him for a couple of years. As a joke, she placed a sign under his name plaque, "Answers 25 cents!". George laughed at the sign and gave her a thumbs-up.
He was the most patient person, taking calls, solving problems, and helping others. There was no anger or bitterness — no time for that. He believed it led to unproductive thinking, something not in his repertoire.
One day, Jane got curious and said, "George, if I may ask, why do you stay here? With your knowledge, you could easily move up in the company or get a better job somewhere else."
He took a long sigh, "I can't leave here. Look at all the workers here who rely on me. The new hires need directions. Seasoned workers still need questions answered. What will they do if I leave?"
Of course, just as he finished that statement, someone walked up with a question. Jane laughed and took the next support call.
His manager called him into the office. Pointed to the chair in a non-verbal request to sit down.
He started, "David, your supervisor, is moving to sales. I cannot think of anyone better than you for this position. You know the company inside and out. It's yours if you want it?"
George felt a knot tying up in his stomach. He did not want to change. A thousand excuses ran through his mind on why he did not want this job. His brain searched for the best answer, but it did not materialize.
After a long pause, he looked up at his manager, "I can't. The company needs me exactly where I am. You have many people out there who are more qualified and experienced in supervision. I appreciate the offer, but I'll stay where I'm most useful."
With that, he returned to his cubicle, the third one in a row of six, furthest from the windows. He checked his desk to be sure everything was in its place.
Jane leaned out of her cubicle and asked, "Did you take it?"
"No, this is where I belong. I need to be here helping everyone, not hiding in an office."
Jane sighed and went back to her work. People were already lining up to ask questions.
One day, in a flash of unusual cognitive energy, he had an epiphany. This was the beginning of what would come to be known as George's Database. Every evening, he would add new entries to his database. They were sorted by main product, sub product, and part code. In each section, he would enter the most common errors, how-tos, and general related items.
Every time someone came over with a question, he would show them how to look it up in his database. After that, he would give them the answer.
As time went by, the lines of people at his desk grew shorter. For the first time, George was not as happy as he used to be. He did not know why he was troubled lately,
The main manager came by and told George it was time for his yearly evaluation. They set the appointment for the next day after lunch.
At the appointed time, George went to his manager's office. They sat at the round table. There was a third person in the room that he did not recognize. She was professionally dressed and sat with them.
His manager opened up, "George, this is your yearly review. To start, you have exceeded all the requirements of working here again. We are lucky to have you. Is there anything you would like to discuss?'
"Not really, everything is fine."
"Are you sure? I have noticed that you have not been your chipper self lately."
"Well, work has been fine, I'm doing calls, helping others, and doing the best that I can."
"Ok. This is Sarah. Upper management decided to try something new. Whenever there is something that doesn't seem right with an employee, we will bring in a therapist. I would like you two to have a discussion."
"Umm, OK."
With that, his manager got up and left the room.
Sarah and George had a long discussion. They talked about where he is now, where he wants to be, and a lot of "why this, why that" type of questions.
When Sarah asked, "What is holding you back? What is keeping you from moving forward? You certainly have what it takes."
George lower is head a bit, "Well, I really like helping others. That gives me those 'feel-good' moments. But when I created this database to help others, I didn't realize it would take away my favorite moments. Fewer and fewer support analysts come by now."
Sarah looked at her notepad for a moment, then looked up, "Question, can the other support analysts contribute to this database?"
"Yes, this is open to anyone in Product Support to make entries."
"Well, it sounds to me," Sarah continued, "that you just started the best way to help all of the support analysts. That is management material. George… do you actually want to be needed, or do you want to grow and contribute even more? You will have a larger group of people to help."
He looked down at his feet for a moment, then looked Sarah directly into her eyes, "I never thought of it that way."
They stood up and shook hands. Sarah's parting comment, "Remember, you are better than you think you are. Go for it!"
George thought about that conversation often over the next several months. The statement he made to his manager about not wanting to change began to haunt him. Through the conversation with Sarah, he began to realize that 'not wanting to change' was not true. It was feeling more and more like a handicap that kept him from enjoying growth.
The real question was no longer whether he could move forward — but whether he wanted to.
His manager called him into the office, "George, we are creating a new position, Call Center Supervisor. The person who takes this position will watch the technical side of the operation, ensuring the system is properly directing calls, ensuring all the support analysts' equipment is working properly, and assisting them with calls as needed. Would you be interested in this position? You definitely have the technical skill for it."
George stood up, his manager joined him, and they shook hands. While in the handshake, George looked him dead in the eyes, "Absolutely!"
There was a short moment of regret when he realized the cubicle he had resided in for nearly 20 years would no longer be his. For a second, he considered sitting back down.
Instead, he stood — slowly, as if testing whether his legs still worked.
He packed the name plaque, the manuals, and the small collection of knickknacks gathered over the years into a box.
Jane tapped him on the shoulder. "It's about time, you goofball!" With that, she ripped off the "Answers 25 cents" note and tossed it in the trash. They both laughed. Then he picked up the box and walked past the row of six cubicles — past the place farthest from the windows.
As the word spread, the gossiping started. Technicians did not like losing their anchor and they felt abandoned. A couple of the technicians felt he took the job they wanted.
A product support technician came up to George and complained, "I can't believe you are leaving us! What are we going to do for answers not in the database?"
George looked at him, smiled, and pointed to Jane.
A few years later, George found himself training Jane for his position as Call Center Supervisor. He had accepted a position in Product Development.
George was heading to the break room, while remembering the years of work in product support and the crazy fact that next week he will turn 60. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he overheard a conversation between two young ladies. They were talking about the new database system and how complicated it was to use.
One of the ladies mentioned how much she loved George's Database.
For a brief flash, George missed being the answer. Then reality returned, and he nearly dropped his coffee cup and asked, "Excuse me, did you say George's Database?"
"Yes, we use it all the time."
"I can't believe that is still around. Is the new system not working for you?"
"We hate it."
"That's crazy. After all these years, it is still in use. I figured it was taken down a long time ago."
One of the ladies shrugged. "Everyone in support hates the new database system. It's difficult to use."
The ladies started to return to their cubicles. George called after them, "It was nice talking to you two. Oh — and by the way, I'm George."
The look on the ladies' faces was priceless.
Based on John 5:1-15
Synopsis:
A man's years of waiting are undone by a simple question: do you want to be well? This retelling replaces the pool with a cubicle, revealing how identity, loyalty, and usefulness can quietly anchor us in place. Healing begins when we choose to stand.
Tap to read the actual Bible passage:
Story of The Healing at the Pool
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