xxxxxxxxxxxxxxI got fired

xxxxxIn early 2008, I experienced the same feeling that Annabelle Gurwitch went through in her movie, Fired. It reminded me of the Seinfeld bit where Kramer got canned even though he wasn't an employee. After all, I'm retired. A publisher said he would publish my book but then a few days later, he decided that he wouldn't. Somehow I feel that this turn of events is for the better. I blame technology and may include more specifics on what transpired on the web page that will be created for my upcoming book, Press 1 for Pig Latin.
xxxxx As Gurwitch relates in her movie, each of us faces the ordeal of being made redundant, i.e. losing her job. If you experienced downsizing or outsourcing where you work, you've been a victim. I, too, was canned before - numerous times. Being a consultant, you really couldn't avoid it, but you expected it since every contract ended. That didn't make it any easier. Some of the dismissals were more painful than others.
xxxxxI began a three-month contract in January 1993, with the possibility of extensions. After the first three months were over, they gave me another four weeks and on one day before that month ended, two other consultants and I were called into a conference room and were given those words, "That's all folks!" One person asked, "As of when?" and we were basically escorted out of the building, right then and there.
xxxxxSome people never learn - but you have to pay the mortgage - so in 1996, I found another assignment with that same corporation for about five or six months. After about eighteen weeks or so, I could see that things were slowing down there so I found a long term contract for the Y2K fiasco, paying a few more dollars an hour. I gave my two week notice and on the Friday, a week later, I was instructed by the consulting firm representative that that was my last day. Like I said, experience is a good teacher.
xxxxxThere was a gig that I worked on with another gentleman in Massachusetts in the early 1980s at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC.) It was quite strange for a few reasons. I lived in New Hampshire, my desk at the office was in the state directly below it, mentioned two lines above, the computer we used was in Maine and my bosses were headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. The project was called CASTL, which I believe was an acronym for Capacity Allocation System Tracking Assignment. We were progressing quite well despite the truly complex system and almost reached the end of the project. In early May 2008, my editor emailed me notice that he was done with my manuscript and emphasized that he didn't use the words, "Mission Accomplished," for obvious reasons.
xxxxxReturning to the DEC thing, late one week we received a call saying the project was finished. We responded that it certainly was close by not quite done. Our leader then replied, "No, it's complete; we're out of funds." We did get paid, but you might say we got rooked, since we had to find another assignment.
xxxxxShortly before the end of the school year in Binghamton, New York in 1973, I was called into the office by my principal. Don't tell me one of my students reported that I had a beer in class. Perhaps, he was just going to relate the fact that my contract would be renewed, as I wasn't tenured. I taught mathematics and even had five different subjects - meaning many preparations - but I certainly wasn't bored and I loved it. I taught geometry, algebra, trig, computer math and I forget the last subject. I wrote a few words about this in one of my books. Besides the class load, I also moderated the chess club - apparently my firing at DEC ties right in here - and this involved an hour or so after school each day and some weekends for tournaments, including a really long one in New York City. I also helped out with the popcorn stands at the football games in the fall. I did this to come to the aid another teacher who probably got his assignment from the principal. There weren't that many games - probably five or six - so it wasn't that big a deal, but I did learn a thing or two about popcorn.
xxxxxOnce seated in the principal's office, I was told that my contract wouldn't be renewed for another year. I really hadn't planned on returning anyway, but let's just say that I really didn't feel like teaching my last class of the day. You probably figured out this ending except the part that I didn't give my troops a study hall and somehow got through the lesson.