Anatomy of A Layoff

Seems strange that one year ago today, my whole world changed.

I have thought about this anniversary for days and have been scripting a blog post in my head ~ an hour by hour account of what happened on May 26, 2011.  I got excited and wrote the introduction last night and suddenly stopped before I even really got started.

It just does not even matter anymore.

The "sheer terror" I felt ~ when being told at 9 a.m. that fateful morning that I would have to meet four hours with a panel of four people ~ passed months ago.

My memory of that eventful day is mostly how little anyone seemed to care that they were letting me go after five years in the same department and nearly eleven years at the same university. 

I carry that feeling with me today ~ that no one really cared ~ that I was met by uncaring eyes, expressionless faces ~ all in the name of a "business decision" to let me go due to "a lack of funds."

I meant nothing to them.  I was not a human being to them.  To them I was a measly $34,000 and pocket change salary along with a $9,000 and pocket change benefits package that they could no longer support.

Cold, unfeeling robots telling a human being that their job has been eliminated.  Actors in a "B" movie following a script laid out by Staff Human Resources.  Stay on topic, do not let the staff member being laid off diverge from the topic, keep the meeting brief.

One year ago today, my whole world changed.

Sheer terror last year ~ sheer joy today ~

The "B" Movie is over ~ The Blockbuster has begun!