So, the 27 year old Branch Manager, who covers our branch, and another one up north, steps into my doorway this morning at 9:15, and asks if I have a minute. Sure...so he closes the door, and says this is really difficult, but my job as an Operations Specialist has been eliminated. The new modus operandi is that one person in one branch can handle the Op's duties of two branches....29 years here... 5 weeks vacation, 3 personal days vacation, 20 paid sick days, and all the regular paid holidays....the medical insurance, the HSA account, the 401K, the camaraderie of a small group of guys working towards a yearly goal to put some extra coin in our pockets... At this point, I have two options; take a severance package of 29 weeks of normal pay and benefits, to which I have a week to make a decision, OR, apply for a position in the warehouse, where I'd be receiving and shipping material and driving a box truck and making deliveries, with at least a 25% pay cut...one or the other...
I am still in shock. Six decades here on ol' Mother Earth, and this has never happened to me...ever. I feel like my pride has been dealt a head slap...my manhood as major breadwinner getting kicked in the gut. The boss suggested I take the rest of the day off, so I came home. I don't know what to think...my wife, fighting a major bout with Mr. Depression and self doubt, is taking this news very badly...my kids will be devastated when they hear the news. Did I deserve this ? My last review was good, all positive with areas to improve upon, but still... The boss said it IS NOT anything personal, bottom line; one person in one branch can do both operational duties for both branches... O-K, then, why do I feel embarrassed ? Why do I feel like I have been violated in some weird way ? Is it because the other Op's person is younger and cheaper than what they pay me ? I still had that crazy notion that there would be a gold wrist watch at the end of this... how stupid of me... wise up, Old Man, this is life in the US of A nowadays...those days of loyalty both ways died a long time ago... God, what a fool I was to think any differently... bitterness...anger...disbelief... deep sadness...loss of confidence... humbling... self-worth ? .. my faith ? ... did this all really happen ? Yea Yes it did.... 38 years in this line of business, what will I do now ? Not like I can go make a living selling pharmaceuticals or chain saws... Any fellow Warriors out there who can relate ? Tell me it's going to be O-K ?
