January 20, 2006
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Thanks for Making Me a Fighter
The Author, 2006One of the best qualities that my family possesses is our resilience. We will not be defeated. We will not loose hope. We are characters of tenacity and most importantly, we are not jaded or hardened by our challenges. We grow and flourish from them.
When my mom found herself faced with single motherhood again in her forties with two teenage boys to support and no work experience in the past 14 years, did she resign herself to desperate attempts at saving the marriage just to retain her checkbook? No. She scrimped, she saved, and she went to college. She graduates this spring and I know she will be hired in the blink of an eye.
When Shaun’s application to grad school in Scotland was denied last year, did he give up on writing and higher education? No. He made sure to gain even more experience to make him even more of a competitive candidate—he wrote countless reviews, got published in a comic anthology, and edited a comic book guide. He researched his grad school options further and broadened his applications. I know that the hardest decision for him this March will be deciding which of the many acceptances to choose from to attend this fall.
When my sudden, unprofessional, unnecessarily rude, ungrounded, and highly inappropriate termination from the Writing Center happened on Wednesday, did I go to see a shitty movie all by myself just so I could be in the dark, eat chocolate, and cry without seeming like a depressed freak?
Yes.
But I also wrote a letter to the Dean and the English chair, describing the incident and my (and everyone else in the entire department) suspicions about the injustice behind the reasoning for the revoke of my rehire status. I was also in touch with my fellow colleagues that I am presenting with at the College Conference on Composition and Communication, to ensure that I am still eligible to present. I am. And the organizers are interested in hearing me talk about my recent experience, because the academic community really should be discussing the fact that any iota of dissent results in expulsion these days. I mean, I know that is how the Bush administration rolls, but for that level of fascism to penetrate a liberal, urban writing center in an art school, it really seems as if we’ve reached the last frontier. When academic staff is prohibited from expressing concern for the students and community that they serve, the result is a stagnant institution as opposed to one that is constantly growing and evolving, nurturing students’ pursuit of knowledge as opposed to squashing it. I don’t expect my letter or the upcoming presentation will get me rehired at the center, but I hope it will help to stop this type of reprehensible behavior from happening at Columbia College and other universities. Or if that’s wishful thinking (it is), at least get people talking about it.
I also put the word of my termination out to my colleagues, who are behind me 100%, and I have received an outpouring of support and a few job leads from them. While it is a bit too late in the term to get another job in academia, now is the perfect time to apply to various places for summer programs. And since Shaun and I will be moving for him to go to grad school this fall, I can take advantage of the transitory period this summer to apply at programs all over the country. I’ve applied to seven places today. Many are youth summer camps for the arts, a few are teen writers retreats, and some are college-sponsored workshops. I also spoke with a woman in charge of a great program sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Council. The conversation began with discussing volunteer opportunities and ended with discussions about a stipend position-teaching screen writing to adult ed.
Thankfully, I still have my trusty Monday-Thursday job at the MCA. I have always been so grateful for that job. I enjoy it and I hear that I’m good at it. But the MCA can only offer me part-time, and without my Writing Center job I will now be short $300 a month. This is nothing that a little job at Starbucks or Borders can’t remedy until I hear back from places for the summer terms I’ve applied for, but the Writing Center was more than just a job. Even after we got a new and atrocious director, the Writing Center felt like home. I’ve never suffered from a broken heart before, and judging from this experience, I hope I never will.
____________________________________________________________________Have you ever been unexpectedly out of a job that you loved? How did you deal?
Also, if you know of any youth summer programs for writing and the arts, anywhere in the world, drop me an email with the name of the program. I’ll love you forever…::smile::
Comments (7)
Oh no!!!! Stupid writing center! How will youth like me survive without tutoring from Truly?!?! They suck. You know what, I probably would have cried like a fool as well, except I probably would have gone on a shopping binge drowning my pain with shoes and cheap clothing, then some bad greasy pizza.
I was recently terminated from Torrid, an overly priced store that I hated working at. It sucked, because I planned on quitting. I didn’t even have the satisfaction of quitting! They took it from me! So when I saw that the future looked bleak and Netflix-less I did what I did not want to do, I called the owner of the Ben and Jerry’s I worked for and begged (well nicely asked) for my job back.
It’s worth noting that academic circles can be as hidebound or reactionary as any conservative cabal. I think it has to do with egos and power, which makes them want to preserve the status quo, ergo what one could define as a conservative agenda.
My first real, salaried, professional job ended way too soon. I thought it would be a year-round promotional/office managing position, until one day my boss hinted she may not retain me. As someone who was used to people being grateful for my tireless work ethic — tolerating the screwups along the way — it was a shock. Finally, she hired someone else behind my back and let me go. My last day there was my birthday. I went out drinking for 13 days straight. One of my friends called on the 14th day, but I turned him down, knowing where such behavior could eventually lead.
After months and months of finding nothing but a two-week bookstore gig, I finally came across an ad for what sounded like (at that time) my perfect job. I threw everything I could into it — using a press release on myself applying for the job instead of a cover letter, since I had no sample press release to use — and interviewed OK. And came in second. Then the person who came in first quit after one day. I had the job seven years, until I was recruited for a job in journalism promising more creativity. I’m thankful and try to use the memory to keep me hungry, productive and driven. So, ultimately, the lemon became lemonade.
In your case, I just know you’ll do well.
P.S. I’m not really happy with that school anyway. A week ago I was contemplating paying in pennies just to piss off financial aid, can you imagine getting 250 dollars worth of pennies? The cashier at TCF was laughing when I told him of my plan.
P.P.S. Does the MCA have free days? You know how it is.
PPPS- Can you let me know of youth writing camps? Or am I too old to be a youth?
I was unexpectedly out of a job that I hated. But when I started I thought it was a job I would love. Does that count?
My sister was a volunteer forest ranger in the High Sierras here in California last summer. I could get you in touch with the right people if you’re interested. Though that seems a little far for you. Still, let me know. She’s pretty good friends with the guy in charge, and your living expenses are pretty much covered while you’re up there.
I’ve always wanted to be a summer camp counselor myself, but the closest I came was running a Parks and Rec program in my home town’s park one summer between college semesters. Pretty good gig, actually. Organizing kick ball games and handing out big red rubber balls all summer while paying off credit cards. Sometimes I look back on those simpler times…
wtf? Who the hell wouldn’t want you as a writing tutor? Are they freaking nuts??????????
I know my comment was short, but I just wanted to tell you that I’ve spent about an hour (maybe more?) catching up on your site. Sure, you can argue that I’m a slow reader (I am), but I was also enraptured by it. I love your essays.
It wasn’t a job I loved, but I was treated poorly by a supervisor in a job that I was really good at. It was a student job at the main library on campus. I do not like confrontation and am easy-going to the point of being flaky, so I surprised myself when one passive-agressive comment too many from this supervisor made tell her that I needed to change departments and supervisors or I couldn’t work there anymore. It surprised the other managers enough that it almost got her fired. And I got the transfer I wanted.