Could be worse...

Seriously, when I quipped something about Mr Toad's Wild Ride, I wasn't asking for more excitement and entertainment.  I thought my "fun quotient" was already pegged at 11.  The plane had been shot up, I was down to one engine, leaking fuel, but had my approach set and a visual on the runway.  Rookie mistake:  forgot to check-six.

Could be worse.  How?  Could be raining.

"So I got that goin' for me..."

On Friday November 30th 2018 at 10:15am EST, I was informed that - along 20 to 30 other associates at my company -  my position had been eliminated.  Merry Fucking Christmas.  Me and Holly Hunter are going Home for the Holidays.  But I don't expect to be flying back with Dylan McDermott.

The RIF was not unexpected.  This company who shall remain nameless (MDRX) has developed the unfortunate habit of trimming staff after a soft quarter and/or wanting to dress up and look purty for the FY family financial photo.  Still, I didn't expect to be whacked.  But when you work for an organized crime family (aka a publicly-traded corporation), that's a known job hazard.

Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes
Also, there were other troubling signs that led me to the conclusion it soon would be time to begin looking for another job.  However, I had hoped to tackle that project when things were a teeny bit more settled in my life.  Clearly, whoever is running this carnival fun-house thinks highly of me... at least for my entertainment value.  Maybe this really is the Truman Show.  Level with me... are you guys paid actors?



"OMG!!!  How are you holding up???"

Honestly... after the initial effects of the blunt-force trauma wore off... I started laughing.  Right now, I'm still laughing.  Don't know how long that will last but it beats the hell out of donning sack cloth and ashes.  I'm in the process of taking stock of all my assets (tangible and otherwise) and advantages.  All things considered, I'm not in a bad place.  I had good chat with a friend yesterday who wants to get into personal coaching as a next career.  I may end up being his crash-test dummy.  But I will NOT say "could be worse...".  Nope, t-shirt and tattoos earned there.

In whitewater kayaking, you learn early on that the river can sometimes take you where you really REALLY don't want to go.  The biggest mistake you can make is tensing up, resisting, and freaking out.  Your best option is to relax, focus, lean forward, and (usually) paddle like hell.  With a little skill and a little luck, you might emerge still in the boat, upright and unscathed... whilst your friends laugh at you from the eddy below.  Right, Tommy?

This isn't my first rodeo, and I am hopeful that this time... even with the clock ticking... I can avoid the "Ready, Fire, Aim!" pitfall... resisting the urge to immediately crank up the network, carpet bomb with the resume and sort out the bodies later.  Gonna try to pause for just a little bit and make sure I've the proper the orientation before hitting the "Go" button.

e·qua·nim·i·ty
/ˌekwəˈnimədē/

A Taoist parable that you have likely heard seems appropriate here...

There was an old man with a small farm in China many years ago. He had one son, who did most of the work on the farm and a neighbor, himself old with a son.

One day the old man’s horse ran off, and the neighbor, seeing this, said, “how terrible, your horse has run off, now work on your farm will be so difficult.”To this the old man replied, “maybe good, maybe bad, we’ll see.”

The next day the old man’s horse returned leading a group of wild horses, and the neighbor, seeing this, said, “how wonderful! You have many horses, now you have great wealth and may live easily.”
To this the old man replied, “maybe good, maybe bad, we’ll see.”

The next day the old man’s son was thrown from one of the wild horses and broke his leg, and the neighbor, seeing this, said, “how terrible, your son has broken his leg, now your work will be doubled as nurse and farmer.”  To this the old man replied, “maybe good, maybe bad, we’ll see.”

The next day the king’s men came to the farms seeking all able men to fight a distant battle, and the neighbor, sobbing as his son marched off, said “how fortunate you are for having an injured son, mine will surely perish.”  To this the old man replied, “maybe good, maybe bad, we’ll see.”

I doubt that I will be able to manifest that level Zen centeredness, but it's wise to remain mindful of the truth that events arsing in our lives may or may not be what they seem initially.

For your viewing pleasure.  I remember the Disney World version of this ride from my childhood.  Seriously, what a twisted sick joke to play on small children.  I loved it!


Comments

  1. Many casinos publish the odds of profitable at their slot machines, guaranteeing a 90- or 95-percent payout rate. 2014, accountants on the Lumiere Place Casino in St. Louis observed that a number of} of their slot machines had---just for a few days---gone haywire. But on June 2 and 3, quantity of|numerous|a selection of} Lumiere’s machines had spit out far extra money than they’d consumed, regardless of not awarding any main jackpots, an aberration recognized in business parlance as a negative 온라인 카지노 maintain.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts