It’s not a happy day here.  Hubby had to release a bunch of staff today from his capital equipment manufacturing plant.  Some of these folks have been with the company for a long time; it’s like cutting a family member.  It’s the hardest part of his job, having to let people go with whom you’ve been friends, who’ve worked shoulder-to-shoulder with you through thick and thin.

I really hate euphemisms like “releasing staff” or "reduction in force" or “right-sizing” or other equally obnoxious hoo-haw.  But what do you call it when they’re more to you personally than your employees?

It doesn’t look good here for the next several months, at least from my perspective.  I’ve heard of no new sales prospects in this line of capital equipment.  Most companies have plenty of capacity and won’t tap it for a long time based on the current demand in the market place for their goods.  Most companies are downsizing product lines and moving to lean manufacturing; there will be less push to get new equipment, more push to do more with the equipment they have.

It was already grim when the day started, knowing the cuts would be made today.

Our sitter/neighbor called me this afternoon, asking me for a list of job hunting sites.  I’m an old pro at this job hunting stuff now; people call me for this kind of information often, so I wasn’t too surprised at first.  It was the shortness of her tone that checked me up, made me ask her to whom she was giving this information.

Her husband had just lost his management position with a national shoe store retailer.  He’s worked for them most of his adult life and does one hell of a job.  He’s in his late forties, an iffy age to be "right-sized" and looking for a new job.

Damn it all.

I spent a few minutes coaching on the healthcare and unemployment stuff, along with 401K rollover questions.  I sent a list of job search sites and some other career management resources.

What I’d really rather do is send this man to a new job.

Wish those tax cuts would have spawned one for him and for all the folks released at hubby’s place of work today. 

And what the heck, for me, too.

8:33:57 PM    comment []

It’s hard to deny.  I was a whole person with a life of my own, my own priorities and interests; at some level I still am, and I expect to be at some point in the future.

But it’s incredibly difficult to say it’s not now and future all about THIS.  This one, in the picture here.  And the other one who’s not in the picture.  And all the other ones out there, in your neighborhood, across town, around the world.

Can you look into these eyes and tell him straight up, I don’t give a rat’s butt about your future?

He’s so proud of himself in this picture, having learned how to pick an apple and take a bite of it with his tiny milk teeth, trusting that I’ll wipe off that bit of leaf on his lip and take him indoors into warmth when we’re done raking leaves.

He’s so proud of himself when he presents me with a handmade birthday card, scratching out as best he can, Happy Burthdy Mom.  He’s even put in two dollars from his piggy bank as a gift, telling me he’s sorry but that was all he could do now for me now, that maybe next year he can do better.

How could I not bust down every door, every wall, every barrier to get him what he needs to live a healthy and happy life?  How could I not set aside concerns about myself?

It’s hard to deny.  It’s not just about me.  It’s all about THIS.

1:21:15 PM    comment []