True value of someone's word...

So, I've made the next leap... what's that? I'm changing career's again???!!?!?!!! Yes. I'm having a bit of a hard time with this one because I really liked a lot of the people I worked with, and a lot of the people who worked for me and worked hard for me. Being a purchaser is where I learned what your name and word really meant and how you deal with people you deal with for product (no matter how small or how big).
I'll say this, I'm no salesmen (sales-person for those whom are politically correct out there) where I have a conscience and have feelings about how I treated my vendors. I've enjoyed the past 13 months buying stuff, getting the deal, working for the deal, feeling the pressure and the stress that this career has given into me. I've learned that everything is built upon relationships with the people you buy from, from the smallest nut and bolt to the largest component of a drilling rig. I've found that even sometimes the quickest of business lunches is the best way to build that relationship where you are able to buy stuff with out a purchase order BECAUSE you have that relationship with the vendor and your name and word DOES mean something.
Growing up, my dad wasn't around much defending the country of all the evil do-er's that want to do wrong in this world, but when he was around, one of the many things he did teach me was that the only thing you have in this world is your word and your name. A good farmers way of living where all he had was his word, and stuck to it. And that's how I treated my vendors and the company I worked for. Unfortunately this wasn't the case for the company and some of my other vendors where all they wanted was the sale/product. Well, I can't say EVERYONE worked the way I worked, but I will say that most of them did.
I found that, the true measure of a person, when all he has was his word (and a PO...lol) is that my last few days, even the vendors I've only ever talked to 3 times, came in or called or emailed saying "good luck" "all the best" etc. Some I'll be in contact for a while after I leave as I've built more than a buying relationship with, but I'll miss making those contacts, those relationships, going for those lunches to build that trust with a vendor. I've had to lean on a number of my vendors to get product out to me, to hurry a purchase, to get it to my door ASAP (that STILL isn't a date on the calendar).
I'm going to miss it. I'm NOT going to miss the b/s but I will miss the talking, the networking, getting the best deal, sharing what we did on the weekend building that relationship even better. I might get back into it, but then again... I probably won't... who knows. All I know is that I had fun and enjoyed myself.