Woody Cavenaugh

I spent most of last week sick. Sick and tired. Friday I slept 16 hours, Saturday I slept 12 hours, Sunday I got up at 8am to make my weekly 8am phone call home. I'm sick, I'm tired, my biggest critic pounced on my weakness.

She had seen a news story that told about people getting fired front left and center for what they wrote in their blogs. I suspect what the story was about was disgruntled employees complaining about their idiot bosses and stupid company moves. They are standing on their right to free speech, but lets be honest. If you hated your boss and you called him an idiot to his face could you really expect to keep your job? Its your bosses right to free speech to fire you for being disrespectful, disruptive, and rude.

Thus I have never said a bad word about my boss, my job, or the university. And truthfully there isn't much I can really say. I love my boss, I love the job I have worked as a temp in for these past two years one month and seventeen days. I was actually hired as a temp for this job two years one month and seventeen days ago based in part on my blog. I also actually interviewed for my own job yesterday. If I hated the job or the people I certainly would not have done that. The university does amazing things for the community and society in general. It cranks out education at a reasonable price to America's youth and it helps with the mentally ill homeless problem in the state by hiring the mentally ill as professors. Were it not for the university there would be a whole bunch of professors naked on the street arguing with a wall and losing. How can this be a bad thing?

But I was sick, I was tired, and the last thing I wanted or needed to hear was "You should delete everything you have written so you don't lose your job. Oh and I really don't like what you had to say about..." At this point I was barely listening. I couldn't hear anything for the ringing in my ears that came from being kicked in the head.

So I started getting well, and then I lost sleep over having to interview for my own job against people who are for the most part already making more than twice what this job pays. Is the job market so bad still? Days of comfort food and poor sleep passed, I interviewed and I feel ok about my performance. Though it sucks knowing that I was the one who had to interview first. I am trying to put the stress of being out of work again in its place- in its place next to "delete your blog or lose your job", and "getting over being sick".

I swear if I get this job the first thing I am going to to is take a vacation.

So here I am today recovered, interviewed, but still dealing with my biggest critic's voice in my head. I think I have it worked out now at least enough to start writing again. I'm attacking the problem with logic.

I don't talk about work on my blog. Therefore if any co-worker, boss, etc dislikes what I say or how I say it, it's ok, it is their opinion and either one of us could be wrong. If they fire me because they don't agree with what I have written then they are an asshole. Now I have spent days trying to find a word that meant "asshole" that wasn't a curse word. There isn't one, sorry mom, I'll try not to use it much after this.

If they fire me because they don't agree with what I have written then they are an asshole. This is actually a win-win for me! I'm no longer working for an asshole (plus the asshole is paying my unemployment), and long after I am gone they are STILL going to be an asshole. How great is that!

My only real obligation is to continue to not talk about work on my blog. I can do that.