getting laid off without getting screwed

greetings and salutations and Yes I would love a job

Getting Laid off in America without getting screwed sounded like a well deserved title for my book - post emplyment - Ha.. Who the freak has time..... It has been 9 weeks and I have never been busier filling out goverment suveys, letting people know I am cleared to work in the USA, posting my resume to 309,000 compnay sites and search engines not ot mention all the netowrking yo've got to do just to stat in the game, oh and by the way my garden is looking pretty darn good.

My journey ~


It was Aprill 18, 2007 appx 3:40pm when the phone rang. I was 49 years old and 5 days from the big 5o. I was working with Laura and Heather on how to be more effective at getting people motivated and involved. The phone rang, an extension I did not know but the voice was none other then our VP of HR. I knew, I just knew. I got this deep contraction in my belly as I said cheerfully; sure I’ll be right there. It was, after all that time of year, for Involuntary job elimination Bingo…. And I won.

As I walked to the HR office I walked deliberately by my boss’s office knowing that if she wasn’t there I was even more dead on than I had guessed - Full card Bingo. She wasn’t there and as I sat at that little round table with each one at my side I hardly heard anything my VP of HR said. In fact I felt a little surreal knowing in my gut despite the bittersweet sadness that I secretly had been given a gift. It wasn’t the stand up, be indignant and disturbed type of feeling. I just knew that I would be okay…

They rattled off numbers like a ticker tape. Yeah, I am sure they were nervous too. It cannot be easy to tell someone who has worked for the company 27 plus years that we don’t need you anymore. I guess they would have know for sure at 28years. .

it was even more difficult to tell my 16 year old why. She just didn’t get it…. She thought I had been expelled for wrong doing and when I told her, nah its just that they let me go – she just didn’t get it….( I am sure she was thinking maybe she could sort of be let go from HS.)

I don’t either. But yes I get it… I get the fact that we play roulette with peoples lives and then hang them out to dry. Sure, there is this dirty trick called severance. The Great American way of getting rid of people and then paying them to eat and provide shelter so they don’t whineabout it being too unfair.

It never is… Its all a game – and I suppose I played it too.
I'll be back....off to get laid...........off