Recession

Everyone is talking about it! It has taken the world by storm, left over a million jobless and many a companies bankrupt. I kept reading about it in the newspapers and everyday there was news of a certain number of employees being sacked. I felt self assured in this whole thing. I knew that my company was going through a tough time too, but I believed in my work, I knew I was really passionate about my job, I took it seriously and I was appreciated for all the work I ever did and plus my team was already understaffed so removing someone was out of question! My Editor kept encouraging me and always told me that I was doing a good job, this made me believe that if ever a time came to make a decision, I knew he will always fight and stand by me...

This belief was completely shattered when I was called into that dreaded conference room on 5th Feb'09 @ 5 PM and told that they were gona ask me to leave. I sat there, completely zapped cause through out the day, I had no idea something like this was going to happen. I spent the day finishing all my tasks with the same enthusiasm as always, completely oblivious to the fact that it was my last day in the organization. With in those 10 mins, I lost my job, my friends, my pride, my passion, my everything...

The consolation of it all was that I was not the only one. There were a lot of my fellow colleagues who were asked to leave too. Everybody had their own story, someone had a family to support, someone had just bought a house and had EMI's to pay, someone was going to get married in a few days and many more. I consider myself lucky cause I do not have any financial responsibilities, I use my salary to shop and pay my massive cell phone bills. My parents are not dependent on me, nor do I have any EMI's to pay...

I went into this mode where I backtracked my every move to try and find the mistakes that I must have made, I found none... I put my heart and soul in my work, I did everything right, learned new things everyday at work, but I just couldn't figure, why! How could a group of 9 board members decide my worth in the company, without even knowing me! I worked really hard to write the maximum number of articles for the magazine, put in endless hours of work for it and they decide my worth based on a certain numbers they have? If I (my team) didn't write the articles, they wouldn't have their so called profits to look at in the first place! And how could they just throw me out like a fly in the coffee?

I earn a few thousands, which is not even a fraction of the Lacs they earn per month and they say they can't afford me? I wonder how these management guys sleep at night after ruining the careers of so many people who give them the profits every month. The company is nothing without its employees, how can they just fire them like that?

When THEY have dinner at night, I hope THEY think about their many ex-employees who may not have food to eat in a few days...

When THEY tuck their child in bed, I hope THEY think about the many ex-employees who are going to be sleepless thinking about their child's future...

When THEY drop of their kids at school, I hope THEY think about the many ex-employees who many not be able to pay their child's school fees...

When THEY drive in their fancy car, I hope THEY think about the many ex-employees who may not even be able to afford a bus ticket in a few days...

When THEY buy things for their pretty house, I hope THEY think about the many ex-employees who wont have money to pay their EMI's...

When THEY sit in your chair at work, I hope THEY think of the many ex-employees who got them to that position...

When THEY look at their profit margin, I hope THEY think about the many ex-employees who worked endlessly for it...

When THEY smile and lead a content life, I hope THEY think about the many ex-employees who have forgotten to smile and learned to worry...

I hope THEY think about all this, I wonder how their conscience will let them sleep at night...

I never ever ever in my widest dream thought that I would be one of the recession hit victims. I was happy in my small world, with my small salary, with my small team who I miss dearly! Everything else, looks blank right now, with limited jobs to apply to and very little chances of getting one I duno what the future holds for me. I am confronted with this dead end right now, and I am far too numb to react to this. Changing careers is a choice I don't want to make. I m even regretting the career choice I made right now, and I was the one who always maintained that I love my JOB!

All this makes me wonder if people respect talent and hard work at all. If the profit figures are more important than the salary of an employee? I wish I was recession proof in some way and I hope this phase passes away soon. I cant deal with this emotional crisis, I can't sit at home and be a liability on my parents who have already done so much for me! I just pray for strength to get through this recession phase. Amen.