Oh, Man, My Poor Friends…

So do you remember a year ago when I was weeping and wailing and gnashing my teeth because I’d gotten laid off? Well, over the course of the year that has passed, there have been more layoffs, the latest of which is happening as I type. I just found out that a good dozen or so people were let go yesterday and more are supposed to happen tomorrow in a different division. I am very sad for those who have already been affected and fearful for those who are facing a very sad day tomorrow.

When this whole thing was going down last year, I was constantly worried about finding a job and very sad that I had to leave friends, some of whom I had worked with for more than 15 years. Thankfully, many of those relationships have grown and I’m ever grateful that I get to see these folks once in a while. And, glory be, I got a job!

I haven’t blogged much about the job. I think I haven’t blogged because I can’t believe I have this job. It is, hands down, the best possible scenario I ever could have imagined for myself. It happened in a particularly crazy way that went kind of like this:

In June I had 3 interviews and I got an offer from one of them – I even negotiated a higher salary. I was so proud of myself! Oddly enough, they pushed back my start date to August 1 – I guess so they could pay the salary for the budget year without having to go through too many gyrations.

In the meantime, the principal from the local Catholic high school called and asked me to come in to talk to him about possibly helping on a part-time basis. I have “worked” at the high school for more than 25 years doing the annual spring musical. It has always been a labor of love. I’m actually a graduate of the school, I taught there for a couple of years and our son graduated from the high school too. All but one of my siblings graduated from the school and 2 of my nieces and 2 of my nephews attended as well. So there is a long tradition of involvement at the school and while I was happy to help out, I never anticipated that the situation would become permanent… but it did! I got offered a position and called the other job and said, in effect, “Dudes, you should’ve scarfed me up while you had the opportunity! You decided to string me along for a month and while you were looking the other way, I fell in love all over again!”

And so I am working at my old high school - in the technology department – because the Freshman and Sophomore classes have tablet PCs.  400 of them in the building this year with an additional 400 to come over the next two years, God willing. Ans I’m also helping direct the choir for their annual Christmas production which, this year, is A Festival of Lessons and Carols. And next semester, I will be teaching an Instrumental Music class which has me both excited and paralyzed with fear.

So the bottom line – I’m in a much better place in every respect. I am happy and healthy, although I really need to get back on a regular exercise routine. And the job is not without stress, but for every negative, there are ten positives.

And that’s why I wake up with a smile on my face every morning. And why I feel a little guilty and very sad for my friends who are still employed at the old place. They still have to work with the Troll. And unfortunately banks and credit card companies directly affect their industry. So the vibe I’m getting from my friends is that this isn’t the end of the lay offs.

I thank God every day for the gift of my job!

Appendix A

I just caught up on some blog reading tonight and so many people are talking about lay offs at their company or business partners. This is very disconcerting.