Brian Inc.

So as of the end of March, I will officially be a free agent.

I don't want to say that I will be unemployed, although that's technically correct. But even in the light of my apparent backward motion, I see the potential for many steps forward over the next year.

To sum up briefly, after trying to resolve a situation at work to no avail, I made the decision to talk to the supervisor about my reduced hours and wage, and he began to suggest alternatives, none of which really solved the core problem. Then, after I stopped him, I took a more frank approach, and explained that I was aware of how the higher ups thought of me and my work, and the fact that they were not happy with my 2009 performance. I added that, between him and myself, I didn't think it was a secret to him that I have become increasingly more unhappy over the past view years with the way the work was going. I didn't mention it to him is such concrete terms, but let's face it, I've been with these guys for over eight years and I'm still taking out the garbage most of the time.

When he heard that, he responded with a monologue that basically confirmed everything I suspected for a while, which was that I was being groomed for replacement. In fact a different person is due to come on starting next week in the department. So I was disappointed but not shocked to hear this news.

Actually, I was more relieved than anything else, because it seems as though I will be let go due to a shortage of work, rather than by a vote of no-confidence. The plan is that I will remain on the payroll until the end of March, attempting to complete some projects that got put on the back burner over the past year. These are things I can do from home and on my own time, so this solves the problem of non-existent daycare for my daughter. I'll be given four weeks notice at the beginning of the month, and then given a severance.

It seems like a downer, but in fact I have big plans. Since I was planning to start a business doing graphics as a freelance anyway (I have made many contacts in the past years that I'm sure I can call upon), and a specialty graphics idea that I want to start with a friend of mine, I'm going to incorporate, and start contracting. This is something I can do almost immediately, with very little outlay of cash (basically the cost of incorporation, a few hundred bucks) and I can continue to do work for my ex-employer (they certainly need me on standby) and others as well in the meantime. Plus I will have the flexibility to still look for bona fide work and take some courses I've wanted to for some time.

I can honestly say that for the first time in possibly my life, I'm looking at a perceived negative situation in a positive way, and I gotta tell you it feels pretty good. As I've been saying for a long time, I've got a lot of areas in my life that are coming together and the work situation was not one of them... until now.

I also want to say that I've had a lot of support from family and friends when I've kept them up to date on this particular news, and everyone has been really optimistic. It really helps a lot, guys. Thank you.