There are so many things in one's life that can really put everything into perspective. If you're old enough to read, I'm sure you've gained enough experience to have stumbled upon at least one. Things happen that make us stand back, take stock, and reassess. Alas, I find myself in just such a spot.
Today I got my lay-off letter at work, compliments of the Alberta Government. I'm not the only one. And at least I saw it coming before it was committed to words and conveniently delivered to my desk while I was away on break. I had the "it's not you, it's me" break-up talk with the boss: "it's no reflection on your work, it's just bad timing". And like a break-up that one sees coming, I felt oddly relieved and liberated. I no longer have to skulk around the halls, paranoid about plots against my job stability. I have received my sentencing. Now I can move on.
I don't know if it's due to an innate tendency to avoid cognitive dissonance, but now that I know I'm scheduled to depart, I can honestly embrace all the things about being here that I actually didn't like but avoided admitting to myself before when I thought I might stay. The woman who has it out for me when editing my work; the chick I always bump into in the kitchen who never smiles back at me; the lawyer across the hall who is unresponsive to my friendly communicative gestures. As far as I'm concerned, they can bugger off. I no longer have to expend energy thinking of them in the slightest. And all the issues and files that keep getting assigned to my division: not my problem anymore. If I'm going to face unemployment, then I may as well revel in the pleasure of depleting my responsibility here. I am walking teflon. And it is liberating, my friends, to not care. If only we could practice that more often.
An old acquaintance of mine said to me once, "a sign of insanity is taking your job too seriously". I agree, don't you?
Anyway, I just couldn't resist inserting the trailer for "Up in the Air". But I'm not the guy in the movie who is devastated at losing the job. I am the guy not shown in any of these examples who says, "Oh yeah? Well fuck you. I've got something better in mind anyway".
Today I got my lay-off letter at work, compliments of the Alberta Government. I'm not the only one. And at least I saw it coming before it was committed to words and conveniently delivered to my desk while I was away on break. I had the "it's not you, it's me" break-up talk with the boss: "it's no reflection on your work, it's just bad timing". And like a break-up that one sees coming, I felt oddly relieved and liberated. I no longer have to skulk around the halls, paranoid about plots against my job stability. I have received my sentencing. Now I can move on.
I don't know if it's due to an innate tendency to avoid cognitive dissonance, but now that I know I'm scheduled to depart, I can honestly embrace all the things about being here that I actually didn't like but avoided admitting to myself before when I thought I might stay. The woman who has it out for me when editing my work; the chick I always bump into in the kitchen who never smiles back at me; the lawyer across the hall who is unresponsive to my friendly communicative gestures. As far as I'm concerned, they can bugger off. I no longer have to expend energy thinking of them in the slightest. And all the issues and files that keep getting assigned to my division: not my problem anymore. If I'm going to face unemployment, then I may as well revel in the pleasure of depleting my responsibility here. I am walking teflon. And it is liberating, my friends, to not care. If only we could practice that more often.
An old acquaintance of mine said to me once, "a sign of insanity is taking your job too seriously". I agree, don't you?
Anyway, I just couldn't resist inserting the trailer for "Up in the Air". But I'm not the guy in the movie who is devastated at losing the job. I am the guy not shown in any of these examples who says, "Oh yeah? Well fuck you. I've got something better in mind anyway".
