How did it happen? I will always remember that day very well, as clear and as vivid as if it happened yesterday. It was very stressful and upsetting. It was the day that I lost my job. Welcome to the dark realm of my existence, otherwise known as my personal memoir. I was previously an announcer for a game show called To Tell The Truth. The show, not the phrase. It was a perfectly good day on September 11, 2000. I just finished a good 30 minute show on the air. I get paid six digit numbers for shouting things into a microphone and then falling asleep.
The recording room was a room soundproofed with foam. The walls look entirely black from this foam, including the ceiling. I walk out of the doors coated with foam. The walls of the hallway were not covered with foam, but instead wood-plated. The ground was made of hardwood. I walked out past the front desk. It was a spacious area, with the fancy logo of “To Tell The Truth” on the window and on the back wall of the receptionist’s desk. The back wall and right wall were made of wood, and the left side wall and the front wall were made of glass.
I was pretty happy because I finished a day at work, and I get to go home. The receptionist stares at me without a greeting. It is like he knows something that I do not, but what? It was very suspicious, but I ignored it. I remembered looking back at the building after I left and saw how much glass was on the building. I wondered how much glass was burned to oblivion to make the surface of the building. I look out onto the road outside. I located my car, and then I unlocked the door and inserted the key into the keyhole.
It started up the car, and my phone vibrated. Bob, my boss messaged me. I closed the car door. The message reads: “I left a note on your desk. Please come back to the office to take a look. By the way, me and the senior executives are really sorry for doing this. The letter explains it all. ” Is there something wrong? I did not know of anything wrong, at least to my knowledge. I drove away from the parking spot and started driving down the road. I turned on the GPS and just followed the directions. I made a right turn, left turn, U-turn, and many more turns.
Ten minutes later, I arrived at the workplace. I opened the glass double doors. The wall the doors were on were made of glass, which is apparently all the rage. The other three walls were made of drywall. I briskly walked down the hall. The receptionist was there, but just stared at me without a greeting. How many more receptionists will do that? Thirteen? Fourteen? A million? Whatever. I took the elevator to the third floor and went into my office. There was a letter taped to my computer screen. This letter is still in my living room closet.
I can pull it out for the whole world to see at anytime. It reads: “Dearest Jenny T, Our company had a shortfall of 2 million dollars, so we were forced to fire some people. You and eleven others drew the short straw, so you got fired. We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but we had to fire you. Sincerely, Bob. ” I got fired? I was enraged and frustrated at this, and I wanted to kill Bob, but I cannot kill him, because I will be thrown in jail for murder. I will not be paid much after today, but I do get employment insurance, so I do get paid 55% of my salary.
I also get paid for having a family of three, and thank goodness my husband also works. I packed up my stuff and stuffed it into a cardboard box I found coincidentally lying on the left side of the desk. The image of my family, my business cards, everything. I stormed out of the floor and into the elevator. I handed the keycard I use to get into the office to the receptionist. She said thanks and then took it, with no goodbye. Just as I walked out of the building with a box filled with my things, my phone rang. I stuffed the box into the trunk, closed the trunk, and pulled out my phone.
It was an unknown caller. This is what I remember the phone conversation to sound like: “Hello? ” I said. “Oh hello. ” The unknown caller said. “We have a job position for people who works for a game show. ” Oh. A headhunter. Well, I just got fired so I only get around $80k a year, so I hope the salary and the job will be nice. “Ok… what’s the position? ” “You are going to be a host of a show, who is paid…” I hear the headhunter tap at the keyboard. “$150,000 a year. ” I am being paid less and when I had my job, I was still paid less.
The thing is, I was previously an announcer, who basically shouts things into a microphone and then falls backward, asleep. Thank goodness everything in the room is foam-covered. “Um… sure… I’ll take the job. When do I start? ” “Next Monday. ” That’s one week. That will give me time to prepare. “Do I have to go for any interviews or anything? ” “No. ” Really? That sounds too good to be true, but the thing is, it is either I get paid about $80k or get paid $150k. It is worth it. “Okay. I’ll start. Where is it? ” “How about I call the company to email you? “Sure. My email is on the To Tell The Truth page. ”
At least, I hope it is still there. “Okay. ” “Well then… see you later! ” “See you! ” I open the car door and close it. I stuff the key into the keyhole and the car started. I set the GPS to home and drive down the road towards home. I basically got a pay raise from being fired. How odd. Looking back, I discovered after a while that being fired had opened new doors. This open door had given me a higher salary and a different job to try, and I realize now that I like it, both the salary and the job.