Never see it coming...

A friend of mine lost her job the other day. She found out after she had completed her work for the day. She'd only been working for the company for a few months. I wasn't privy to the reasons she was let go, but she was a little insecure about her job security to begin with.

I feel sorry for her, but am sure that the nearly 700 workers at the two Fox Valley Kimberly Clark Mills who recently learned about their futures were just as surprised. Fact is you never see it coming and no matter what you're told about your job performance you can't seem to shake the feeling that it may have had something to do with the way you did your job.

Twice I've been fired in the radio biz. The first time I was working in Minocqua and eight of our full-time staff of twelve learned just before Christmas that the stations we worked for were being sold and would be going to a satellite music format. Our services were no longer required. The other time it had to do with the company "going in a different direction." That can mean just about anything, but is still a terrible way to say "you're fired."

If you're one of those that believes that "When God closes a door, he opens a window," then there is a silver lining. The last time I was let go, "different direction," I ended up coming to work in southern Wisconsin. It's a place I'm happy to call home. For my friend and the workers at Kimberly Clark, I hope God opens that window soon.