The Gap in My Integrity
By Rochel Harris

I worked for the Gap twenty some odd years ago. The manager mostly had me either folding clothes or as the "greeter," welcoming customers as they entered the store. I lasted a month.

My departure was somewhat planned which is where the lie comes in. I let the manager put me on that week's schedule knowing that he'd have to find someone to cover my hours. I even bought some gift certificates with my employee discount to use when I no longer worked there.

This lie is where I learned that right and wrong often have little to do with legality. I was in my right to buy the gift certificates while I was still employed. I was also in my right to quit without giving notice. But the sound of the manager's voice, his shock and annoyance that someone could be so inconsiderate as to quit one hour before they were supposed to be "greeting," woke me up a bit. (Did I mention this was a long, long time ago?)

He was upset because he had been duped.

It's not just that it wasn't nice, it was dishonest. I misled him on purpose. My rationalization was that giving two weeks’ notice, when my training wasn't even complete, would have resulted in being fired, and I wanted to get paid right up until my planned departure. So I lied, and now that I'm a grownup who wouldn't behave in such a manner, there's no one to apologize to.

I haven't gotten enough sleep in the last decade to retain the brain cells that housed the information regarding the location of the Gap. I don't remember the manager's name or even what he looked like (I'm not even 100 percent positive it was a man). I'm also somewhat fuzzy on the exact time frame.

So on that note I offer this public apology (although it is highly unlikely the manager will read this, statistically speaking). Along with my apology I submit the last decade or so of my life, of which I can happily say there has been no repeat of this type of deceptive behavior. And I pray that this Rosh Hashanah, the Judge of all mankind will agree that I am no longer the same person.

Wishing all of you a sweet new year!

Time is of the Essence