Recession and the fired people

I got to the office late. And saw one of the doors that are never closed, closed.
I was partly curious aside from the fact that I needed to do some work in that place, so I went straight to open it, it was locked. I took the key to it and before I could open the boss went out and told me to please wait a few more minutes before I went in. I knew there was something going on in there.

Half an hour later I was able to get to the office and greeted Marisa. She was obviously upset, but tried to disguise her discomfort with a nice “good morning, how is your day going?” Atypical of her.

She was the kind of person that does not make teams. Most of the people in that particular office did not like her much, and my impression is that she never even noticed that. Of course, she’s not to blame for the way she was, despite being already in her thirties. I am pretty sure the environment she grew up in made her be such a person. It’s one of those things you notice when you meet someone for the first time: it is not easy to explain, but you just know their schooling or education at home was far from the best; but they can’t help it.

What stroke me the most was this: once I fully understood she was just being fired, I sat down and talked to her trying to convince her all changes are for better; I was cheering her up making her see all her blessings she counts on. She interrupted and changed subjects abruptly, and started explaining that she was the one that took the decision to leave, that she disagreed with the path the company was taking and a myriad of other observations that made me just stand there in awe and silence.

How is it that not even in these incidents of life we are not able to be a little more humble and accept our vulnerabilities? I’m sure if I was the one in that position I would be crying all day and all night and realizing how weak I am. It would be a life lesson that most certainly made me appreciate my family and other good things more, and surely would have taught me the fragility of work structures and the big hole we are getting in when somebody on the other side of the world screws up, affecting everybody else.

When I was finally able to say something, I wished her luck in her new endeavours, and left the place. I wish she thought long and hard on her way home about such attitude, and that her kids saw and heard a hurt person instead of a “winner.”

I just don’t get society.