09/16/2004 Entry: "Supported behind the scenes"
I am both humbled and grateful. Not only did my friends help out when I needed a job, but apparently a bunch of coworkers really worked hard as well. Today was the first day I actually returned to the office since the layoff announcement. On Monday, right after the meeting, Roy said, "Fuck this, let's go home!" and gave me a lift home. I stayed home Tuesday and Wednesday, updating my resume, writing letters, and making some calls. Of course, I stopped when they offered me the job Wednesday. One of the stipulations of this was that I tell no one until COB (5pm) on Wednesday. They stressed "no one." But I soon learned that quite a few people knew. Not everyone, but most knew because apparently there was an informal campaign to keep me in the company. No, really. While I was cleaning up my old office to move into my temporary new one, one of the data analysts I had worked with for years came into my office with a heavy sigh, and whispered to me with a twinkle in her eye and grim determination on her lips, "Give me your resume..." I whispered back with a wink and a smile, "I already got a job..." Her eyes lit up, and said, "Oh, I was hoping you got it! We really made a fuss to keep you in the company!" Really? Who is "we?" She paused, and explained that when people found out our whole department was dissolved (which is spreading like a shockwave of astonishment across the whole division), almost everyone asked, "But what about Grig? They CAN'T let HIM go...!" So a bunch of managers went to other people and explained, "You can't let this guy go, he's the best we have!" An hour later, I met another guy I worked with in the hallway. He was one of my VB.Net gurus back when I programmed in that, and then was a good source for Perl afterwards (crap, I still have one of his books... mental note to return that). He asked, outright, "Did they listen to us? Did you get pushed through the hiring freeze?" I said yes, and he swung his fist through the air and went, "Hot DAMN! I knew we would get this through!" He then congratulated me, and repeated that a "bunch of managers petitioned" my being let go. I was so giddy with joy, I forgot to ask if there really was a physical petition or were people using a figure of speech? Later, my new Boss's boss told me, "You had a lot of people rooting for you apparently, and I am real glad to have you come onboard." Wow. All the work I have done for these people through the last few years, they never forgot. All the extra work, the smiles, and promises to follow through met... they never forgot. Wow. I don't know what to say. Except I am grateful and humbled.
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