People are People

A few years ago I got the greatest job. I loved it, I loved my staff, I was great at it.

Two weeks ago I lost that job.

I really don't want to focus on that, I have already spent way too much time doing that. What I want to talk about is a decision I made that seemed odd to some people.

I posted my job loss on Facebook.

I said "lost my job today. definitely have had better days." The next 24 hours brought messages of support and offers for consulting and planning from career coach friends. When people asked why, I quoted what the letter I'd been given said- that it was in the best interests of the University. I did not state my personal opinions about my boss, or the politics at play that resulted in that decision.

Yet I still heard some backlash. Apparently some felt that was far too personal to share on Facebook. And I have a decent number of friends who are (now former) co-workers, making it further inappropriate.

Then there was the OLD co-worker factor. The ones that I couldn't wait to get away from when I got this job. THEY now knew (as someone was a friend of a friend) that I "couldn't cut it".... wow, ouch. Salt in the wound. And I'd given them the salt.

First off, the recent co-worker thing. Really? As if they wouldn't know otherwise? They're still my friends, and if not, they can click the button to unfriend me.

OK, the old co-worker thing, I hadn't taken into account. But, ultimately, I really don't care. I'm still moving on to better things, (that last job was a step up, and the next one will be too)- they are still where they were when I left. Wow, now I feel bad for them. They're just people, and probably too scared to move on.

So about sharing personal information. I do not have is a tight-knit family consisting of several siblings and neighbors who live on the same block in the same houses where we've all lived for the past 40 years.
I have friends and family who are spread out around the country and who have lives and who are busy. At the time of this writing, I have 225 Facebook friends. I have personally met all but I believe 3 of them. The outpouring of support I received from that post was truly heartening. I do not regret, at all, showing that level of vulnerability. People lose jobs. I'm people. My community- my 225 and growing community- came to my aid when I needed it in the way they could. Some I would never have thought to ask for help, but they offered.

Because of my Facebook community, I'm finding hope in people again. And I'm people.