Keeping Things in Perspective...

This week we are faced with another layoff at work. Thursday they are to announce a 15% reduction in our workforce. They are very quiet about who is to be cut. If you remember, I went through this about six months ago and the word we have been given is we more than likely will do it again the first quarter of 2007. As you can imagine, work is not very enjoyable right now. You try to get things done but all everyone is focused on is what is going to happen and will they be affected or not.

I sit and listen to these conversations and listen to how everyone feels so cheated and like they are owed something by our company. Now I do not want to lose my job but I have accepted that this is a business decision that had to be made and unfortunately it may affect me and many of my friends. I am not too worried about it, I really do not think that I will lose my job but at the sametime there is always the thought in the back of my head that I could. I have accepted that and think I am ready for that. Of course, I am not sure we are ever really ready for that. I suppose that reality will be a different test of that.

Today amidst everyone talking about things and wondering about their future. I had a friend in town that manages one of my former stores. She let me know that one of the ladies that worked for me lost her 18 year old son, David, in a car accident early Sunday morning. I worked in this store in 2001-2002 so he would have been in middle school at the time. He would come into our store and see his mom and also hang out and chat sometimes. He used to tell me about the animals he was raising to show at the livestock shows. Now I was never much of the type to raise animals for a livestock show but his passion made me excited for him. I remember one year he won a $25,000 award for a chicken he had raised, that was just incredible to me. He was always the most polite kid and enjoyable to have around. He would always answer me with yes sir or no sir and always very respectful. I had to convince him that it was ok for him to simply call me Dan. He loved football, especially Texas A&M football. I am pretty sure he loved that they beat Texas this past Friday.

After hearing that news it made the thought of some of us losing our job just seem a lot less important. There are certainly worst things in life than losing your job. And I am certain that David's family is going through one of the worst times I can imagine. This really has made me realize that the little things in my life are really a lot smaller than what they seem to be.

Tonight say a prayer for David's family and know that this has to be a very trying and difficult time for them. David was certainly a sparkle in their eye and I am sure in many others.