Lemons and Lemonade.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, but unless life hands you water and sugar, your lemonade is going to suck.

This is the week that the ax finally fell.  I could tell they were gearing up for it.  My bosses were interviewing people for my position while I was still there and claiming that they just wanted to keep up with the newest talent.  They took all of my work and campaigns and gave it to the other assistant media planner.  They were printing off resumes and making meetings with HR.  They weren't all that subtle about it.  I had an interview at a yet to be named location last Thursday that went really well.  This week, I had a follow up interview with one of the women from the (hopefully) new jobs.  She had come to the office for a meeting and wanted to take me out.  I told my boss that I was "meeting a college friend for coffee" and went to have coffee with her.  When I got back, everyone was in a panic because they couldn't find me.  I told them that my boss knew where I was, but apparently, I should have told everyone.  


Friday I got to work and finished up the last two things on my to-do list.  One boss was out, the other was in her new office and Bryan was at his desk.  Karen didn't say 2 words to me that morning.  Around 12:30, I got a call from conference room 4 and it was HR asking me to come and see them in the conference room.  I knew that was it.  I walked in and 2 women from HR were there and they both gave me a pitying look.  I said "Edar, I know why I'm here, you don't have to feel sorry for me."  She said that everyone really appreciated my hard work and I had to bite my tongue from saying "bullshit".  (Sorry for the language, mom).  They gave me 2 weeks severance and the opportunity for unemployment.  She then basically told me to pack everything up and go.  


I walked back to my desk and told my friend Kim that I had been canned and she came over to help me pack up my desk.  At this point, Karen had taken the entire team out to lunch which I still thing is an a-hole move.  They made me move 3,000 miles away from my life, my family and friends, put me on probation without training me or giving me a chance, interview people while I'm still there, then fire me before my probationary period is over and then don't have the guts to say anything to me.  I took everything I could that had contacts on it and thanked my lucky stars that I didn't have to be there anymore.  Kim and my only other friend there Angelus walked me out and I went to get my hair cut.  All afternoon, I tried to keep the panic at bay but finally just realized that I am so grateful not to have to deal with their bs anymore.  I'm so grateful to not have to worry that my name was being put on a client deliverable that was edited by someone who uses the words "irregardless" and "combined-ed" and then by another person who uses text speak to write emails to their employees and the team.  I'm glad that I don't have to explain to my boss why something is plagarism, only to have him tell me that it's fine, that's what he wants.  Having them tell me my writing is unprofessional and way below the level that it should be at this point in my life.  Having them tell me I'm unorganized and that I have an attitude....all stuff I am very confident with myself about.  I have enough insecurities, I don't need people making me feel bad about the few things I'm actually confident about.  I'm glad that I no longer have to care about Fergie, Beyonce, or Lady UGH Gaga or how many times Andy has see Fabio at his gym and how many times Elizabeth has seen so and so at the Whole Foods, or how Stacey is being stalked by Cuba Gooding Jr.  Angelus put it nicely, they think they are the level beneath movie stars and it's so sad for them because they really aren't.  They are the popular clique at high school and I'm not going to change myself to fit in with mean, superficial people like that.  


That evening, Kim and Angelus took me to dinner/happy hour at the Cheesecake Factory at the Grove to celebrate!  Kim and Angelus see what I saw and it drives them nuts too!  Kim went home but Angelus took me out to celebrate with some of his friends.  They are super cool and I'm really going to enjoy hanging out with them in the future.  I'm so grateful to him for making me get out and have a good time last Friday.  What started as a crappy day ended as one of the best that I've had here.  


I feel really good about being fired.  Well, not about being fired, but there is a huge weight lifted from my shoulders.  I don't have to go to a job tomorrow with people I strongly dislike and I don't have to pretend I like them and I don't have to pretend I agree with everything they are doing.  Instead, I can work on finding a job that I actually really like.  I will get to enjoy my life a little.  I do not regret any of my actions.  I did the best that I could do and if it wasn't enough for them, then it wasn't enough.  Oh well.  It will be enough for someone else.  And who knows what that will be.  I have a million opportunities in front of me and a plan that's in God's hands.  So I'm ready.  Let's get this started.