She was 30-something, a veteran of the financial services. Wall Street had transferred her from New York to Tampa, North to South, and it has been downhill ever since.
She arrived at work one Monday morning. Come into the boss’office, we need to talk, she was told.
The job she’d thought she would have until in the end of April had left town two months early, outsourced to India - Mumbai or New Delhi, to her what’s the difference.
Pack your things and leave, she was told.
Thankfully, she didn’t go empty handed: six months salary; two months health benefits. She’s lucky I told her. Some men and women with families and mortgages and children in college are being let go with a month’s pay.
I gave her the "obstacles and opportunities" speech. She can finally go out and get the job she always wanted. She’ll finally get that teaching certificate. She ‘ll perhaps try to be a social worker. The Department Children and Families needs employees who care about hurting adults and children.
A year ago I heard the same speech as I was preparing to leave the St. Petersburg Times. I didn’t always believe it intellectually, but in my heart it made me feel better repeating the words: something good will come out this. Every door that closes means a door is opening. Obstacles birth opportunities.
Those words don’t ever salve the hurt and calm the panic of being fired, but they’re true. And every day someone else needs to hear them - someone like the veteran reporter for a major newspaper chain who started his day interviewing folks at a recycling center. When he walked into the office, someone told him the boss wanted to see him in his office. He walked in to learn he was being let go that day.
“What about the story I’m working on,” he asked.
Forget the story, the editor told him.
Here’s more. I reconnected with an old friend from college this week. He has been freelancing as a photographer since January when he was laid off from a position he held for 18 years. Another former colleague, who had long fled newspapers for the saner pastures of public relations, finally returned my phone call after a month. She had been laid off since February. Her nonprofit employer closed offices and cut staff. They blamed the economic downtown and the sharp drop in charitable donations.
Sounds depressing? I know it is. But this cycle of trouble demands the best ideas, the best innovation, the best originality from all over us. This is a reminder that we can never get too comfortable. That master’s degree? Now looks like a great time to go back to school. That old hobby that has been catching dust in the garage? Time to dust it off. Those kids stories that you always wanted to write? Procrastination time is over.
Can’t seem to develop the motivation to get started and get off the couch?
Lace up those sneakers and take an early morning walk; better yet, go jogging. You won't come back emptyheaded.
I want to hear some of those ideas you came up with while you were out breaking a sweat. Those endorphins have me feeling optimistic for you already.
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