Follow Your Bliss

It isn't like it comes as a big surprise, corporate backstabbing. But when it is your place of work, and people you've worked with, well, I suppose I'm not only an optimist at the fishing hole. I truly expect that people in general have some morality, loyalty, forthrightness.

They don't.

My point of pride in the whole affair? That I wasn't brought in on it. There had been a plan for quite some time to fire my boss, and after the fact it became obvious that even low level peons like myself had got word of it before it came down. Not that all of us hadn't suspected that that was why Mr. JailBird was there all along (to take her job), although he denied it strenuously. But now I think everyone except boss and myself knew. Ok, everyone doesn't include absolutely everyone. But out of 25 people who worked there, I'd bet 15 knew.

So evidently my honesty and loyalty is obvious. Cool. (Ok, some might see these qualities as naivete or lack of savvy but those are not people I want to be like. Those people are dirty and make me want to take a bath if I have to be around them.)

It was a good gig while it lasted. The kids got to swim all summer, we got a lot of castoffs that are useful to us (recycle recycle recycle), I learned stuff, had experiences, made two friends, got rid of some dead weight. I got some funny comments through the year, like did people know husband sends me off to work -- the thought of being sent off to work by my husband was pretty hilarious. I got to see a different side of humanity -- the side that travels all the time, businessmen (who are mostly salesmen) and wealthy retirees. It was fun to be a rock in that stream and watch it flow around me. It was fun to prove that even in a context so foreign to me, I am competent and useful. I will miss not ever seeing again the excessively cute Mr. Bailey.

It is really good to be at home today. Among a lot of other stuff, I cut wood. Cutting wood with a bow saw makes my body feel good, strong, useful, beautiful. My shoulders straighten, the muscles tighten and then relax completely. The waist, with the stroke of the saw, tenses and releases. And the spirit is absolutely free to wander the field of infinite possibilities.

Next.

"You begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss and
they open the doors for you. I say follow your bliss and don't be afraid
and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."
- Joseph Campbell

edit: maybe I was too hard on too many people here. Maybe only 2 people knew. Make that three -- plus I think the old ladies knew. And I still think Mr. Jailbird is really after his now boss's job -- he's so much bigger and more important than this small, local position. Anyhoooo.