Layoff

When I had started writing this blog, I had promised myself something. 72 virgins? No! It sounds appealing but could be somewhat of a logistical nightmare, plus it would not go down well with my wife; so I just promised myself something simpler - that my blog would not be a personal diary. But some events occurred over the last 2-3 months which I wanted to capture before my already failing memory became more fuddled. So this is my attempt to build a time-capsule for myself. Maybe in a few years from now, I will read this again and relive it all over again. Also, for my few friends who actually waste their time reading the useless drivel that I churn out every now and then, maybe it will provide a glimpse of what I was doing in the last 2-3 months.

On Thursday, Nov 12, I got an email from my manager's manager saying that he wanted to set up a call with me on Nov 13. For some reason, I was quite sure that it was regarding my promotion which I had been trying to avoid for the last few years for the very simple reason that my salary would go down if I got promoted. Yes, that is a strange compensation structure. Anyway, I spent some time on thursday thinking up arguments on how best to present my case. But the call that came on Nov 13 had nothing to do with my promotion. I had picked up the phone and had just said 'Hello', when my manager's manager told me that I was being laid-off and Nov 13 was my last day of employment. A large chunk of people from my department were laid-off that day, including my manager (which explained why my manager's manager had to do the unpleasant call) as part of a general reduction in force.

For some strange reason, I did not feel upset about it. In fact I felt no emotion at all. Maybe it was a consequence of knowing that it was only a matter of time before my number was up and the sputtering economy was going to get me. But atleast now, some day I can proudly boast to my kids and grand-kids that I lost my job during the big recession of the late 2000s.

The next thing I did that day was look up tickets to Tanzania and India. Within 36 hours, I had booked my tickets. I left for Tanzania in a week and there in commence the interesting parts of my narrative.