I'm not Unemployed - I'm Semi Retired

When my position was "eliminated" due to a "reorganization," I thought the same thing as the great Yogi Berra ... "it's deja vu all over again." The circumstances of my job loss were almost an exact replica of what happened to me back in 1992. I had already seen the writing on the wall surmising that my job was in jeopardy, and the only question in my mind was "when" it would happen -- not "if" it would happen.

My employer (who shall remain nameless, but they know who they are) was not that different from whom I worked for in 1992. Only the players were different. Otherwise, all events leading up to that day in May 2007 were very familiar. So when my boss asked me to accompany him to the human resources office, I knew that this was going to be "it."

I think they were surprised I didn't throw a tantrum, spew four-letter words or start flinging the expensive doo-dads that were in the HR Director's office. They avoided the word "fired" and instead used euphemisms, such as "position elimination" and "reorganization." I told them I had expected this decision and politely asked for the information in writing. They squirmed and felt uncomfortable. I felt superior and smug. They stuttered and stammered. I was elqoquent and articulate.

I got a nice severance package and the timing for me personally, couldn't be better. I was going to be free at last!

That was the day that I decided I was not going to consider myself "unemployed." I was going to be "semi retired." And I'm going to be loving it.