Track 7 - Bad News

Why is the phrase, "we gotta talk," almost always followed by bad news. Here's an example, you're dating a pretty young lady and you think everything is going great. You have plans to hang out so you throw on a new t-shirt, jeans and your favorite kicks accessorized with a smile and head over to her house only to be greeted with a "we gotta talk." Might as well have filled your shoes with annoying little pebbles, because instantly you are uncomfortable and you know what's coming. Dang it, this is going to suck!!

Last week, I was out cruising around northern Indiana. Temperature was above pleasant. Humidity was just below a steam room. Hair was frizzy and standing on end like I had stuck a staple in the outlet again like I did in 5th grade. Sitting shotgun in the Kia minivan I could have really used a new york cabbie's beaded seat. Life was fantastic. Minutes later, I was sitting through my speaker's seminar, and received an email from my boss. In not so many words, it said, "we gotta talk." Whaaaaaaa? Luckily, it was to the whole sales staff and not just me but the feeling was a familiar one, dang it, this is going to suck!!

Ok ok, I will jump ahead in the story and just get to it. My company always takes a summer and christmas sales break. I knew the summer sales break was going to be 5 weeks long. Sounded great. I was planning to regress back to summertime in Elementary school before I had to work and all I worried about was whether I wanted to ride my bike, go to the pool or build a fort. Five weeks, piece of cake. A welcome extended vacation. A quick trip to Ohio and a week in Florida that was all that stood between me and Never Never Land. In other words, I was dressed in my new T-shirt, jeans and favorite kicks and knocking on that lovely ladies door. Then, the "we gotta talk" email. Stupid "we gotta talk."

This is the news. The company has decided to extend the summer break out to 10 weeks. Yikes. In addition, they are dumping 20% of our routes and reducing the sales staff. Double and triple yikes! I am not that old and I have already been laid off once. To hear that layoffs are looming is disconcerting. Jobs are hard to come by. I don't think there is anything I like less than job hunting, ok, maybe having tiny rocks in my shoes but that's about it. Hello panic, you unwelcome friend. I did not miss you but I see you standing on my porch. My boyish jovial summer just turned into a sit and wait for the call to the gallows. I have no idea what the outcome will be. I am staying hopeful but dang it, this is going to suck!!