Day 1: WTF!

I am a middle aged male that has been recently laid off in the middle of what I am told is an "economic recovery". I ran a very successful small business and helped to facilitate the growth of the company from a small rented flex space to a large owned warehouse & office space building. During my tenure there the business grew 4-5 times in size and much more in profit.

Now I find myself unemployed and with way too much time on my hands. This unplanned semi-permanent vacation is what most people dream of, but for me I am in the middle of this living hell. So here is how it all begins….

I have always held a job. I mean always. Since I was 13 with a paper route for the last 30+ years not a day as gone by I did not have a job. Until now. My day started as they always do. Busy. It was a Friday so there is always a lot to get done before the weekend. Then by boss, who is the owner, called me into his office and with no explanation, and feigning how much it hurt him, fired me. Now, I was the number 2 person in the company. I ran the company for the last few years while he was able to stay home and go on vacation. The same boss I have worked with for 7 years between 2 businesses he started.

When I was hired at this recent company by him he had been in business for 3 years and had the same number of employees, same profit, and zero growth. After I came on board we grew 3-4 times in size and profit grew in a 3 year period by close to 700%. And the company was continuing to grow. Then out of the blue, “It’s just not working out.”

I didn’t argue with the man. Maybe I should have. I mean maybe if I begged I could have kept my job for another month. But I doubt it. What’s the point in arguing, the man wasn’t joking and he obviously decided that this was the path he chose to go down.

A few minutes later I find myself cleaning out my office, the office I literally built. In shock. It didn’t make any sense. Just last week he paid for further training and certification for me. This could not be a decision just off the cuff. Why did he spend the money to do that if he was going to do this? (He is a very cheap individual, always complaining about small things)

In silence I packed my office, loaded my car and drove home. Needless to say my wife was surprised to see me home. Oh, did I mention that she was injured and not able to work for a few months prior so that is why she was home? So I now we both sat at home, quiet…raging.

The anger grew up slowly over the day and then almost exploded. I am not by any means a violent man, but that day all I wanted to do was destroy something. Still reeling and in shock, but that time I am pissed. Somehow my family put up with me that day. I think they were in shock too, not just at what happened, but also seeing me so mad.

During the previous 2 years I have heard and known so many people that lost their jobs and mine was secure and my company thrived. Then, when we were in a recovery I became a statistic. And that was Day One.