Blue Monday

As of today at 9:00 A.M. Mrs. Sallie Story has been laid off. This means in the Myrtle Beach Story household there are two unemployed louses on society. Anyone know where I pick up my unemployment/welfare checks?

Its one of those things where you just feel so helpless and doubt yourself. You get the message that the boss wants to talk to you and for twelve hours you know what its about, but you convince yourself it could be something else. Your stomach is in knots, you don't really sleep, and you dress up nice for essentially your own funeral.

There was no rhyme and reason for Sallie's lay off. It appears to be the decision of some number cruncher because not only is the copy desk going to struggle now, but the two other people we know that got the ax were very important parts of the staff and had been with the company for many loyal years.

I've always had this fantasy, and I've had it since Noodles demoted me that everyone at the place of employment starts a Spartacus like revolution. One by one exhausted, underpaid newsroom folk stand on their old beaten up office chair saying to the boss "I am laid off." "No, I am laid off." One by one people leave while the boss gets the same look of helplessness imposed on Sallie earlier in the day. Then they urgently call Sal up and offer her more money... and a party with cake. (The food and perhaps the band) Everyone is invited back to their jobs and the boss packs up his/hers office and walks out quietly. Everyone laughs about it and enjoys a beer at Ron Jons.

In the end we aren't pissed at the paper. Maybe confused and frustrated, seeing how we picked up our life and moved across country for five and half months of employment. The job market here is worse off than most places, so we know we can't stay, which means we have to break our lease and take a penalty from them. We only recently found friends and started hanging out with them properly. And darn it, I just got a South Carolina license on Friday. For Christ's sake... I'm registered out here for three days before we're ready to leave again.

Anyway, at least temporarily we'll be moving back to Missouri and living under the protection of our folks. We're happy we get to see everyone again, but its hard to finally feel like you're making it as an adult only to have real adult like stuff happen. I know this is one of those things that twenty years from now we'll laugh about living at the beach for such a short time, and having to drive a mo-ped around as transportation, but can't we have that twenty years now, while we're young. I want to immediately start laughing about this.