Friday, March 13, 2009

The first step is admitting your defeat

There are only 2 things on the agenda for today: stopping at Chipotle for dinner, and breaking the news of my pending unemployment to my parents.

Weird and unexciting. I know.

I manage to get through the meatless Fridays of Lent on fruits, vegetables, and grains all right, but only if I know Chipotle's delectable guacamole is waiting at the finish line for me. I'm pretty sure they put crack in it.

As for breaking the news to my parents...you're surprised I haven't told them yet, aren't you? The truth is no one in my family knows except Jon and I. My family doesn't read this blog (not because I've kept it a secret, they just haven't figured out how to click on a link yet) and I haven't attempted to get in touch with anyone. I haven't been ready to talk about it, and I'm not entirely sure I'm ready now, but I figure I might as well get it out of the way. I also think I can only benefit from the addition of 7 plus sets of eyes and ears on the lookout for another job opportunity for me.

And it's not that I'm afraid of what they will say. Our family is so large that we're only that much more familiar with lay-offs and filing for unemployment. I hope to not reach that point, but if it comes down to filing for unemployment, I know I'll have at least 4 immediate family members who can tell me exactly what to do and what to look out for.

More than anything, I haven't come to terms with the shock yet. A part of me is still waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out from behind the fax machine, laughing at me because I've been Punk'd. A part of me is waiting for our parent company to send out the memo explaining how they've made a terrible mistake and we should call everyone back immediately. But the better part of me knows neither of these things will happen and that I'd better start getting my ducks in a row now. So, I'm starting by telling my parents, but only after a trip to guacamole heaven.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So how did it go with breaking the news to your parents? I know they were understanding - but was it as hard as you thought it would be??

Kate said...

It went pretty well considering. I wasn't sure if I should just blurt it out or if I should wait until they asked how things were going, so I waited. It's really weird trying to explain the situation, "They're closing the company, almost everyone is gone, but I'm employed through June." My parents both gasped, asked a few questions, and kept a positive outlook for me.