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Saturday, January 12, 2008

January 11th Memories

Yesterday was my mom's 50th birthday. We're celebrating it with dinner at my grandparents' place tonight. I told my grandmother that I have moved out of my parents' place and moved in with Julie. God knows how awkward tonight's dinner conversation will be once the question, "How many bedrooms does the apartment have?" comes up.

Yesterday was also the 7 year anniversary from my layoff at [company edited]. The new-ish Manufacturing manager was deciding on layoffs yesterday, ironically enough, and was asking me about the procedure that we follow for it. I told her about my experience and she cringed. They were really shitty about it, I think. It was the end of the week, I had just finished working a ton of overtime for the busy season and was fairly confident that they were not going to lay me off because I was such a team player and very good at the job. Yeah, well two new people were relatives of the then Manufacturing manager, so they stayed on and at 4 pm, I was sent to the board room where they basically said that I didn't make the cut and was laid off, effective immediately. I was so upset, I couldn't even say anything. I remember that they terminated two other people and they were already in the locker room crying when I got in there to collect my things. I remember seeing a co-worker and asking them to tell my mother that I would be at Burger King (the closest place to sit down without being noticed too much) and then I walked the five blocks and cried the whole way there, cried the whole time I was there, and then cried the whole rest of the day. Needless to say my mother's birthday was ruined that year.

The layoff threw me into a massive depression because I just could not figure out why I was laid off when I worked my ass off. I couldn't get out bed or leave the house for weeks and finally I went to the doctor and got a prescription for anti-depressants so I could get out and find a new job. In November of that year I re-applied because I heard they were hiring and I was unemployed again after a brief move to the Vancouver area (long story there) and now seven years later, I have had four promotions and two department changes and now plan production, projects and manage all raw materials at the plant and inventory of our products in multiple warehouses across Canada. I travel on business to corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, other GMI plants in the US on occasion, and last year went on a personal visit to the Canadian corporate headquarters where I met the entire sales and marketing management team (whom the plants rarely have contact with). That visit, although on my personal vacation (thanks for lending me your car, Stacey!), was invaluable relationship building on my part and for the plant.

It's strange to type out my role at the plant now because when I started there, I was just an assembly line worker and occasional line operator. I never, in a million years thought I would eventually move up in any way. I do not have any formal education for my position, although I would like to take classes eventually. It just goes to show that if you can get the door open a crack, it can eventually open wide and lead to something bigger and better. Never say never, I've learned. You never know where you'll be in five years, even with a plan!!

I think I've mentioned this on the blog before, but my most rewarding part of being promoted was when the then Manufacturing manager acknowledged that he had made a mistake in laying me off back in '01. That to me was the validation I had been seeking since the day I returned to that place.

Alright, well, Julie is up from her nap so I think it's time to put up the little shelf we bought for the bathroom to go over the towel rack. I'm feeling like it might be my turn for a nap though....hm....

Today I'm grateful for:

* My job
* Second chances
* My apartment
* My girlfriend
* My family

1 comment:

Stacey said...

Isn't it funny how things work out. I always believe things will work out for the better in the end. It's so amazing the way you've worked your way up. Congratulations. You're a hard worker and I know that you worked hard to get to where you are. :)