I Wanna Get Fired!!!!

This has been a tough week for New York and the entire East Coast, so I must first acknowledge that I give thanks that myself, family and friends are all well and I must send my prayers out to those that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.

I am in no way complete in voicing my opinion on our subway characters, but as I sat to write, a memory came back to me. The comedic aspect of the situation, left me no choice but to share with you.

It was about six years ago and I was working two jobs. Now, my night job was my main source of income but, we all know that if the opportunity presents itself to make extra cash, and you are able to do it…do it. The opportunity presented itself to me, in the form of a 9 to 5 as a Manager of a little buffet style restaurant. It was nice when I first started out, my duties were mainly management, nothing heavy so the money was suitable. Somewhere along the way, it was discovered that I was capable of managing the staff and also working alongside them. My, staff was great, very capable so I had no problem helping when need be. But as time went by, I realized that I was working more than my staff doing their duties and mine and that the 9 to 5 wasn't what it was cracked up to be. My workers weren't happy from before I got there, but, up until now I was the only one that took time to listen. So, I came up with the notion that seeing that I was a ‘Manager’ I could go to my boss. This man that hired me because of my experience in the hospitality industry, to ‘Manage’, so I saw fit to express, on my staff’s behalf, some of the things that bothered them. After all a disgruntled staff does not work productively.

The day in question, I went to my boss and sat down with him to discuss some of the things I saw that needed addressing, in order to increase sales through better customer service due to happier staff and some equipment that was needed in order to work proficiently. After I got through do you know what he said to me, and I quote,

“I didn't hire you to have an opinion, I hired you to get the job done”

So I replied and I quote,

“How am I to manage and not give an opinion, am I suppose to do as you say, even if it is not what I deem to be the right thing to do in order for me to get the best job done?”

And he said, again I quote,

“Yes, if you don’t like it you can always quit, but what I need done is that staff in line, and you will get it done the way I say to.”

People, I had a problem with this. One, I am all for rules and following them but, I am not for robotic job function, we all have an opinion that is what adds to the success of a business, the individual personalities which make up management and staff. So when we cannot voice an opinion, we are void of interest in the success of the business. Two, there was no way that my EGO at the time, was going to give him the satisfaction of me quitting. So I decided that I was going to get fired. For the record, not one of my finer moments, in decision making.

I put ‘Fire me’ into action. I started coming in late, with very lame excuses, like ‘I took a wrong turn….’, my boss, understood. I didn't get fired. Then I started going to lunch for an extra half hour some days, my boss understood, I put it back in on the weekend. I didn't get fired. I then left work some days, to check on the kitchen, which was a 15 minute drive away, and would go home. My boss, he minded but I didn't get fired, instead I had to take one of my staff with me sometimes. It was evident that I had to step it up, if ‘Fire me’ was going to work. Did I mention this was not one of the brightness decisions I have ever made, it probably was one of the dumbest things I ever did. I could have just quit, I did have another job, but EGO is very uncontrollable when you are young in life.

I digress, after all my minor efforts had failed, I decided to pretend to be hung over couple mornings, guess what, my boss got mad and I got mad we ended up in a screaming match of sorts. In the end we talked it over, I went home to sleep off my ‘hang over’…smh and I didn't get fired. So far, I had not really done anything to my boss, to whom I was trying to prove a point. Only thing I did, was to show how inefficient I was and irresponsible and I embarrassed myself with the ‘hang over’ bit. I drove home that day not embarrassed but feeling incapable of getting fired, I felt incompetent, EGO. I drove to work the next day and that’s when I saw my ego for what it was foolish. So I came to work looked around saw my boss quit and left. I was defeated I couldn't get fired and I felt extremely foolish for putting so much effort into such a frivolous, egotistical undertaking.

To take with you, one, never let anyone tell you that you don’t have an opinion and two, if the only reason you are going into an undertaking is to prove a point to someone, don’t. Chances are, it’s your EGO that has the point to prove and life has taught me that EGO is self destructive and self serving so, more likely than not you will embarrass yourself and I do mean will. SO I DIDN'T GET FIRED, I QUIT.

Feel free to comment and most definitely laugh. Life is Joy