Tuesday, April 3, 2012

You Have Been Let Go

With the economy in recession, a lot of people have been laid off. They say when its one person its a tragedy, when its many its a statistic, what do you to the man who sits in front of you and calmly says to you, "You have been let go, the company no longer needs you in service".

Just like that. In thirteen words, my world came crashing down all over me. A million questions were exploding in my mind confusing me, images forming and disappearing just as quickly, as I sat there, dumbfounded, trying to make sense of this new development and what it would mean for me and my family. I sat there dumbfounded and my thoughts seemed to be so disoriented that they couldn't penetrate through to my lips. As I thought about the twenty years that I gave to this company, my service, my time, my life- hell even my dreams. Everything depended on this job, how am I going to afford  a home now, sending my kids to school, putting food on the table, being a man of the household. Reality can play nasty tricks to a man's mind. 

The representative continued, "You will get three months pay, medical benefits until the end of the year, then you are on your own. We are very sorry. "

Unemployed. I know three trades, I speak three languages, and I have been here for 20 years. What more do they want than that kind of loyalty? Yet how can I still want to stay so badly? Its rough out there, no guarantees. I just wanted to break down and cry, are grown man allowed to do that? Before I could answer my own thought, a tear started to trickle down my eyes making its way to my lips, leaving a salt trail behind. 

The voice across me continued, "Your resume says that you minored in creative writing. Most students work at the fast food place. You busted your brains working with an editor at a publishing company. Then you got out of college and started working here. How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams?"

"Five thousand a year." I replied. 

"At what point were you going to stop and go back on what made you happy?"

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