Next ?

And then there four. Last week another member of our little work group slipped away. She was 'let go' a victim of the financial down turn, a general cut back of State dollars. A case of soft money just drying up over time. It's always sad to have to say ' goodbye' even under the best of circumstances but when a person is doing a great job to let them go because there is just no money is a shame but it's real.

We did the open house for this person—she was and has been quite active in the local service community. We had the staff special lunch and in stead of going out somewhere special we “ordered in” and had a pretty good lunch and time and then at last, I stopped by her office and said goodbye—I had to leave the office early to participate in an open house across town which would have me out of the office for the remainder of the day.

I had visited with my officemate earlier and she seemed OK—she is working on her advance degree which is “drilling” her hard and I have been amazed at the amount of work she has produced here at the office while at the same time being demanded for a colossal amount of work for her classes at the University. She told me she had some money coming into her from her family and she had also put some money away—so she would be able to devote almost full time to her academics which I think will be blissful for someone like her. I did note that she was still paying close attention to “positions listed” on the State roster. So she is still looking. I am not worried about her because she is one of those folks who always seems to land “on their feet.” She has enough professional work under her belt and local repetition that she is going to be able, I think to just about call her own shots as she needs to. I would not be surprised to see her settle down into some teaching slot at one of the academic institutions in the valley here or maybe even the national game if he desires. Either way she'll do good.

Now our little office is down to four and a person who works out of our office but is not an official member of our staff. Its a good staff and I believe we work together well all things considered. I am not rally part of that staff, or not have been but over the past couple of years in an effort to “save” my position, I have had to have more and more financial help—as my funding streams have dried up-- so in a sense I AM becoming more and more 'them' which I guess is good but which will not help me if I cannot find replacement money...I very well could be next—I probably am—its just a matter of time.