Swirling Around

So the last few weeks have been something else. I had an awesome vacation out in California, then got to relive it with stories and photo sharing, and before I could "land", my work world got turned upside-down.

If you're not aware, I work for a very small marketing/advertising company. I've been there over 9 years and for the most part enjoy what I do. No one day is the same as the next or the last. But what makes it worth waking up for every day is the people I get to work with.

When I was hired in 2004, I was employee #7. The largest the company had been and I was the first person hired outside of everyone's network. I'd go out on a limb and say it's worked out pretty well for both sides. Over the years, the company has gotten up to around 15 employees a couple of times, and we have been floating around the number for the last couple years.

The upside-down part I mentioned above went down last Friday when I found out 2 people got let go and another has an expiration date on their days with the company. So, that's 3 out of 15 people I enjoy working with on a daily basis. Definitely makes you feel uneasy and leaves you in shock when a fifth of your company gets let go.

The worst part, getting torn away from two friends, not just co-workers. You spend 40 hours a week over 3 or 4 years with these people. You share stories about your life, spend time outside of the office having fun, and then BOOM the craptastic economy invades your happy little bubble.

It makes me sick on so many levels, just thinking about it. Why? What could I have done? What can I do now? Will work ever get back to "normal"? When will the enjoyment come back? I know things won't be the same, that's been quite obvious over the longest 4-day week ever, but I hope I haven't lost two friends.

I'm not used to going off friends cold-turkey. Last Friday was so hard, trying to process it all, sitting in an empty room all by yourself. I just couldn't keep it together. It still hurts just thinking about it, and I'm the one that's fortunate to still have a job. I'm hoping time will heal wounds and I'm not left caught in the crossfire.