it happened - Feb 7

Remember that overly paranoid thing I mentioned? The part about how I was worried about losing my job? Well it happened. Guess I wasn't being overly paranoid after all.

On Saturday I picked my daughter up from work. She happens to work as a cashier at the same place I was catering manager. While I was there my boss told me she wanted to talk to me. She said that starting Monday I was being demoted to associate. The same position I had when I was hired back in April. The same position my 17 year old daughter currently has. She said that the girl who interviewed for my job, the same girl I saw training at another store a few days after her interview, that girl was starting Monday as the new catering manager. Since I had interviewed for another job they knew I wasn't committed to the catering job, and they wanted to put someone in the position who was going to stick around for a while. The funny part is the girl they hired for the job has worked for our company three times. She's quit and returned twice. I guess she plans to stay this time.

I must admit that I was upset at first. I certainly didn't deserve to be demoted. I have busted my butt for this company. I've gone above and beyond for them time and time again. I do understand their position. I understand the need for a committed person in the job. What bothered me was the way they went about the whole thing. I hadn't even had my interview when she came in to interview for my job. My boss led me to believe that I wasn't going to lose my job just because I had an interview somewhere else. I told her that if I got the teaching job I would give her two week's notice before I left. It was the right thing to do. And while I was ready to do the right thing they trained the new girl in another store for a week then gave her my position instead of bringing her in to train with me. A week and a half after I was honest with them about having an interview I was demoted.

My boss told me that she would appreciate it if I would help the new girl this week. Go with her on the deliveries to introduce her to the customers. Help make the transition a smooth one. I honestly couldn't believe she was asking me to do that as an associate. That's what I should have done during her training. She should have gone with me.

I will go with her. I will be kind and gracious. I will continue to work hard. Because that's the kind of person I am. And if I am offered the teaching position I will take it. And I will start as soon as they need me. The one thing I'm not going to worry about doing is giving them two weeks' notice. They gave me 41 hours' notice that I was demoted. If I hadn't gone in on Saturday I wouldn't have gotten that much.

Tomorrow should be fun. I'm actually looking forward to it in a strange sort of way. I won't say a negative word about anyone I can assure you, but watching the reactions of others will amuse me.