I Got Fired

Last Thursday I opened up my gmail to find a dismissal email from the Animal Shelter that I volunteer at on Sundays. Not only was it dissmissing me, but it also included my good friend Andrea who carpools with me. Hmmmm, I've never been fired before—not from a real job or a volunteer job. There's a first for everything right? (Note to self–take H.U.A animal shelter off of your resumé refrences). The email containes a coupole of veiled threats. I'd like to share it with you, but first let me give you the background. I started dating the shelter mananger, J-Dawg (you may remember him from previous posts rated PG13) a couple months back. I think this may have something to do with me getting fired, much to my surprise however, if anything I thought I might have gotten promoted. So Sally, another volunteer (who happens to be on the board of directors) sends me the following email:

Karen and Andrea,

I don't really know what you've been told, what spin might have been put on it, if any and what your thoughts / plans are. It doesn't really matter.

The last few weeks and even months have been very difficult and things are changing. Many things need to change.

I've appreciated your time at HUA, but I don't think you should continue.

I am so glad that Slade and his cousin Hank have a loving home. And Bruce too. Those are blessings. I will personally guarantee that if HUA can do anything for these dogs, we will do it. Slade was a fixture there, and will always remain in my heart. Bruce was a refugee that I didn't know well. But I've appreciated getting to know him more the few weeks. He is such a good boy and deserves the life he has now. As for Hank? A great dog rescued from an asshole in Ohio.

What the two of you have done is very special for these dogs. What you did at your time volunteering at HUA is much appreciated. You worked your asses off.

We can become angry and say things we shouldn't. Either between ourselves or outside of HUA - or just realize we should let sleeping dogs lie and move on. There are lessons to be learned, by all of us.

I wish you the best of everything. I wish Jim the best of everything.

Sally

My response:

Actually I hadn't heard anything, this is quite a surprise. I'm sorry
to hear that you don't wish for Andrea and I to volunteer anymore.
I'll let her know.

If you care to disclose anything else about the reasons behind this I
would certainly like to know . . .

But the more I thought about it the more I became angry, I talked it over with several other people. One person thought that perhaps Sally had a thing for J-Dawg, and this was her revenge on me for getting in the way. Maybe this is possible, I brought it up with J-Dawg, who thought back and mentioned that Sally would always ask him what he wanted for lunch, would always make his favorite foods and send him the leftovers to take home. He then mentioned that since she found out about us seeing each other (2 weeks ago) She hadn't prepared anything special for lunch and didn't offer to send him any left overs. (coincidence??) Someone else thought that perhaps since she had threatened us that it was wise not to talk about this to anyone that most likely she had sent this email of her own accord, without running it by any of the other board members. And she included Andrea in the dismissal because of course if Andrea continued to show up and the others asked where I had been she would have mentioned my dismissal email from sally. Hhmmmm.

Despite her words of caution, I decided to stir the turd.

I sent the following letter to Carol, the H.U.A. founder, so at least I will maybe get the whole story, maybe. . .

Dear Carol:

Last week I received an email from Sally advising Andrea and I to stop volunteering at HUA. I was surprised to receive such an email, and also I was disappointed. Andrea and I both enjoy working with the dogs on Sunday and we enjoy giving them a chance to get out for some exercise and extra attention.

I wanted to verify that you indeed did not wish for us to volunteer anymore. As I said we were both pretty disappointed. We’re not angry or mad at anyone, just confused. I found it somewhat odd to receive a dismissal for a volunteer position via email without any indication of dissatisfaction on behalf of the HUA staff before the email arrived. Sally alluded to the fact that we were being talked about and she mentioned, “I don't really know what you've been told, what spin might have been put on it, if any and what your thoughts / plans are. It doesn't really matter.” In actuality I hadn’t heard anything, nor had Andrea, and again, it was a surprise for me to find out that this would be discussed freely amongst the group without giving Andrea or myself an opportunity to be informed about what the problem was.

The other thing that confused me was that Sally said she wished Jim all the best and I do not know why she would mention Jim in an email to dismiss Andrea and myself.

It is in the spirit of friendship that I send you this note. I wanted to open up the lines of communication in case there is something that we have missed. As I mentioned, Andrea and I sincerely did enjoy working with the dogs on Sunday, but if you do not wish us to continue we will respect your wishes.

I wonder how this will all play out. . .