Back in the early 2000’s, it was around late November. I was trying to arrange a meeting involving the Logistics and Customer Service leaders of Colgate-Palmolive. I do not recall the exact topic of the meeting. I think it was maybe the second gathering for a project we were working on in the Latin American Division. We wanted to get the meeting in before the Christmas holidays to to push the project forward and not lose three to four weeks due to the Christmas Holiday and the slow ramp-up in the first few weeks of the New Year. If it was a short update meeting, we could have done it by conference call. But, we needed to spend a full day, if not two, working through an detailed agenda. So, the meeting had to be face-to-face.
I called Angel De La Puente, the Director of Customer Service and Logistics who was both my #1 report and partner in the project we were working on. We looked at our calendars and the only date that could possibly work was December 12th which was a Friday that year (making 2003 most likely the year). For reasons that elude me, we had to meet in Mexico City. We planned start our work on Thursday in the afternoon, work all day Friday, and end with a holiday dinner. Folks could fly home on Saturday morning, and we would achieve our objective of making good progress on project. We were set to go.
Just before sending out the email inviting everyone to the meeting, I got a call from the VP of Manufacturing in Mexico, who was Angel’s local boss. He asked me if the meeting could be moved to another date as we had selected was the Virgin of Guadalupe Day. While it was still a working day, it was an important holiday and there were festivities on site and hosting fifteen or so guests would be inconvenient.
Well, I had two tasks. First, I took care of business and moved the meeting to January. We would still make our deadline.
Secondly, I was looking forward to call Angel. This would be a fun and memorable call. When he answered, I started right in, “Hey Angel, you have always taken great pride in knowing the history of Mexico and sharing the knowledge with me.”
He said, “Yes, somebody has to teach you Gringos.”
Smiling, I continued with the set-up, “Today, I am really questioning how much you really know.”
He gruffly asked, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Well, you know about our December 12th meeting?”
I could sense his growing frustration when he retorted, “Yes, of course.”
“I am shocked, truly, that I have to be the one to point out to you that it is the Virgin of Guadalupe Day. I am just shocked you did not know this as it is a very important and sacred holiday in Mexico.”
There was one of the longest pregnant pauses I have ever experienced. I knew I got him but good, and I knew he knew it as well. He knew I would be bringing this up often whenever he was showing his natural pride. It was indeed a long pause. Then ever so slowly, with that deep, gravely, voice of his, he slowly uttered that one-word expletive for which he was so famous.
Angel passed away two years ago on December 29. I miss my friend.
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