An ancient book in the CERN library captivated two scientists. It told of a place at the end of the world, where the sky touched the earth and they would find the answer to all their questions. They decided to take a sabbatical to go in search of it, swearing that they would not return until they had found it. 

The two comrades travelled to the four corners of the earth and sailed its seven seas, overcoming countless obstacles, enduring desperate hardship and resisting innumerable temptations. More than once, they were a hair’s breadth from giving up and abandoning their quest ... but how would they explain that to their friends and colleagues? 

The book had said that they would find a door that would open at their knock, bringing them face to face with the truth. 

Finally, their long journey came to an end when the two scientists happened upon the door. Without wasting a second, their hearts thumping, they knocked. Ever so slowly, the door swung open. Trembling with emotion, they crossed the threshold and found themselves ... back in their office at CERN! 

The moral of the story: don’t overthink your problems. The answer is often much closer to home than you might imagine... Let’s help one another find it. 

My role as Ombud isn’t to come up with answers or solutions for those who come to see me. Quite the opposite: by listening to you and asking you questions, I try to help you find the answer yourself. And, believe me, the answer’s often inside you. It’s up to you to find it!

Pierre Gildemyn

If you’d like to comment on any of my articles or suggest a topic that I could write about, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at Ombuds@cern.ch.