Jolting the fickle heart!

The economy is bad. But you already know that, everyone knows that. This is the time you get docile and do all that you can to hang on to the job you have! No time for throwing tantrums at work, or being overly individualistic. Come on, I mean my manager got laid off five months ago and is still looking. So Mr. Nayyar, hang on to your job, and hold tight. Major turbulence expected ahead. And yes the ride is going to be exceedingly bumpy, and no-one should be surprised at surprise landings into the Hudson river, miraculous or not!

So this morning, I am sitting quietly in my cube, after disagreeing with my current manager on almost all his suggestions, and feeling good about myself. And suddenly I get a call on my cell (not my direct line at work, but on my cell) by this gravelly voiced Renee! Now I am a huge fan of Joni, and if she were to talk to me, she would probably sound a lot like Renee. So I am instantly hooked.

"Hello Mr. Nayyar, this is Renee from the Global Account Team"
"Oh, hello, how's it going?"
"Good, thank you. I was calling because we were just sent a request to delete your work and email account."
"Uhh...what?"
"Well we got a request to delete your account as you don't have a manager listed to report to in the system. Are you still on the payroll?"
"Uhh...I don't understand, as far as I know I am on the payroll sitting in my cube, checking and sending email about the work I am doing. And I haven't been informed I am being let go."
"Oh, okay, so it must be a miss-communication. Could you tell me the name of your manager?"

--I tell her the name of my manager--

I am thanked and the phone is put down. Not even mentioning that this little conversation would haunt me like the scariest moments from Exorcist, not the new crappy one, but the old, "haunty" one!

Like any rational person, I run to my manager (via messenger of course) and ask him, in a not too subtle manner, am I being let go? The manager of course gives me the regular reassurances, and it's probably a mistake, because my last manager was let go, and they probably forgot to change the system, and so on and so forth!

Needless to say, I needed about 2 hours to recover from this, and my fickle heart was jolted into this bleak reality of the tumbling economy! I am counting on you Mr. Obama to sort all of our lives, and cure all ills. No pressure though! :)

But yes, if I ever had a conversation with Ms. Mitchell, I am sure she would sound a lot like Ms. Renee. So I shall take comfort in that, and head out of work tonight to enjoy this weekend as a happily employed man! What shall come, will come, and will be handled accordingly.