November 1, 2012 Warning: Rant ahead!

I'll apologize to my readers in advance, but I just can't contain myself.  Picture this scenario:  Economy has wreaked havoc on a company and the owners have decided they need to do layoffs.  So, who do they choose?  A. A male recruiter who does as little as he can get away with and is only working because the wife who supports him insists on it.  B. A female HR Manager/Security Officer who is a single mother and the sole support of two children, who has also been putting in long hours for years, keeping up with changing requirements, audits, requests from other departments, and has taken a great deal of abuse from management. 

If you answered A, you're a rational, clear thinking human being.  But the correct answer here is B.  And the expectation is that her workload will be "easily absorbed" (I believe at one point he even wrote in an email that she could just wave a magic wand and Poof!  it would be done!) by her assistant and the Controller who was recently told that she didn't have enough work to do. 

Needless to say, I'm so angry I could spit, and I am not alone in my very rational disgust with how this whole thing is coming down.  I'm starting to believe that they are intentionally trying to kill the company!  And even if it isn't conscious, their negative attitudes will do it for them!  I learned a long time ago that if you go around saying "this isn't going to work."  or "we probably don't have a chance at winning this".  By cracky!  The Universe will happily grant your wish!!! 

Not only that, this individual is the one person I could always count on to be fair and reasonable.  If she believed I was right, she'd stand up for me, and if she believed I was wrong, she wasn't afraid to tell me so!  I trust her on HR related subjects.  She has a great deal of experience and truly wants to protect the company who employs her.  It's just that some people don't want to be protected from either their greed or their stupidity.

But, as with everything, there is a good side to this.  I am being reminded to keep my thoughts positive and my intentions clear!  Even though I don't have the details outlined clearly, I am renewing my focus on a career that will enable me to telecommute at least 80% of the time and which will allow me to learn and grow and continue developing my skills and talents to their fullest potential.  This whole sordid situation renews my desire for association with people who truly understand what service is, and that doesn't mean bending over and letting your customers kick you in the ass.  They understand that the people you work with, for and who work for you are also customers, and if they are mistreated or abused, or are allowed to mistreat or abuse others, you're setting up a culture which can only be dysfunctional.  As a very wise man said recently "the people who work for/with me don't have to like me, but they do have to trust me, and the only way they will do that is if I treat them with respect." 

Fortunately, some of us actually do stand up for each other and do our best to help wherever we can.  I know she'll come out better for this experience, and the layoff may just be the kick in the pants she needed to get out of an abusive situation.   But it's really killed the last shreds of respect I had for the decision makers.  I will need massive quantities of imaginary heart shaped confetti to help me through the next couple of months.  I'm sure it will be yet another lesson in patience and self-control.  If that's the case, I cannot even imagine what the Universe has in store for me which will require mastering that particular lesson first! 

At any rate, I did have a good time dancing and visiting with my friends.  They always make me feel so loved!!!  The day ended on a very positive note in spite of it all.  (although the ex-contractor finally crawled back out from under his rock to send me a text saying he'd filed for bankruptcy today and to thank me for getting back to him.  Some people just never get it!  I'm glad I stopped responding.  It really wasn't worth dragging out.  He was going to do whatever he felt he needed to and I was going to let his license be revoked unless he paid up!) 

My gratitudes for tonight are:

1. I am grateful that I have learned to walk away from a losing situation and avoid pointless pissing matches.
2. I am grateful for my dancing and my dance friends who understand the need to let go of what might otherwise fester and just enjoy happy people and happy dancing.
3. I am grateful for many new opportunities to live my life as I choose.
4. I am grateful that the world is filled with positive, giving people.
5. I am grateful for a warm loving, open heart which looks forward to the next bend in the road with excited anticipation and joy.

Love and light.