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Friday, March 27, 2009
One of the hardest decisions I've ever made
11:10 PM | Posted by
David |
In 1972, after spending four years in the United States Air Force, I went to work for Marbon Chemical Company. The company was built here in the Parkersburg area in the very early 50's.I went to work in the technology area in what was known as the Physical Testing Lab. It was there I learned to test the products for their different qualities such as impact, strength and flammability. A few years later, I was approached on setting up and working the Electron Microscope Lab for the analytical area. In 1991 the company, which had been bought by Borg Warner in the early 70's, was purchased by General Electric. They remained the owners until 2007. It was then purchased by a company from Saudi Arabia known as SABIC. In 1991, I transferred from the technology area to the manufacturing division and the Chemical Operations area.
The recent economical situation has brought a lot of matters no one wants to see. That's shutdowns and layoffs. Men I have worked with for 20 years are out of work and their families without much needed job support and income. I felt in December when the first layoffs came down that it wasn't over with. I was right. The last week of February they announced another reduction in work force and offered a Special Early Retirement. To qualify one had to have a certain amount of years service and be 60 years old by the first of April. The amount of reductions depended on how many retirements took place. I knew I had a decision to make. So many things came into play with making this decision. Things like income, change of life style, my health, and if I was simply ready or not.
This past winter has been rough on me. The 12 hour shift work, working outside in the cold, the change in work hours, and so many other things. I probably changed my mind a dozen times from one day to the next. I was having problems getting information from the new company as to what my actual retirement would consist of money wise. Anger was pulling me to change my mind and not take it and to stick it out and see what happened. Then this past Monday, March the 23, my birthday, the layoffs came. It was much deeper than anyone thought it would be. The two men I have worked with, and spent so much time with, both lost their jobs. The emotions were deep and strong. We could only shake hands and wish each other a silent farewell and well wishes. Our voices were choked up. It was then I made my mind up. I didn't want to be part of what was left behind. It wasn't an easy decision. But it's final and for the first time in 37 years, I'm no longer working.
Tonight was my last night at work. I climbed high on the fluid bed dryer I have spent so much time on over the past 15 years and looked out over the river and the plant. I thought of so many times with the chill factor well below zero and being in this same spot working on a problem. I thought of the papers I have presented. The patents that have my name on them. I thought of countless friends and customers I got to know...their kids and families and lives. It was a bittersweet moment as I climbed down those many steps for the last time. It was over.
There are so many things I can and want to do. There are streams yet to be fished, scenes of this beautiful state yet to photograph and woodworking projects I have put on the back burner for such a long time. I'm sure, in time, my body and mind will adapt to something close to normal for a change. With an anxious approach, I look forward to it. It being the right decision is yet to be known. It will, in fact, be an adventure I'm sure.
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1 comments:
I was one of the contractors let go from the site. I wasn't so much sad or disappointed that I may not have a job (even though I am a single mom with only one income and monthly child support only totaling $200.00), but I was sad because of all the wonderful people I was leaving behind. There were so many "good-hearted" people working at that site. It felt like a family, not just like a place of employment. I am told now that it no longer feels that way and that is such a shame. There are many businesses that when their employees wake up in the morning, they actually hate to have to punch another day on the time clock due to the lack of enjoyment in their working environment. As for me at the Washington, WV site, this was not the case. I loved my job there and the people I worked with. It's such a sad situation that the economic times has, in a way, destroyed the family we had there.