Of course I exaggerate, but this has been a really trying week for me work-wise. I mean, my usually impervious ego was bruised repeatedly. And after a week and a half of being badgered, it really looked like I was going to lose the fight. And I did fight. As much as my little temp heart dared without fear of getting fired or "laid off."
A little background: Months ago a bunch of temps in different departments (and in my department) were getting laid off. I was nervous, but what can you do really? So I kept my head down and made my work count. Boss-who-doesn't-want-to-be-boss decided to train me on a new boot. It was going to be my baby. If I had only known then how frickin needy it was going to be....
I was the only cutter working on this particular boot and the leather was
Everything went well at first. We were being too picky with the leather. We could let more stuff that didn't look perfect go. So we did. Then the problems started. See, this leather is CRAP! Did I mention that? I just wanted to be clear. First of all, it's not sealed with anything. It's tanned and that's about all. So when I was told to label the backs of a particular part, I did so with abandon. I labeled them BIG! (Actually, I labeled them "IN" and "OUT," but that's neither here nor there.) And the ink leeched onto the good side of the piece under it. Oops. I spent 8 full hours recutting, during which time then-supervisor had the gall to ask me, "Have you learned your lesson?" When did I end up in grade school?
I don't want to detail every. little. problem. BUT let's just say there has been something new every day. Getting to re-cut the other girl's mistakes so I can learn HER lesson? Check. Re-cutting my own inadequate but perfect pieces? Check. Re-cutting my MISSING parts that weren't really missing, but lets just say they were so WE don't get in trouble? Check.
Needless to say by this afternoon I was growing rather weary of the problems with this boot. And then it happened. The girl assigned to re-cut the boots stood up for me. She told the not-boss that there were plenty of good parts that we were having to re-cut, and it wasn't cool. Not-boss took it to the man in charge of quality, and guess what? MOST of the parts were good. Mhm. Thought so. He told guy-who-wants-to-ruin-my-life (referred to later as pooper), and pooper got PISSED! He ran to big-lady-in-charge (referred to later as awesome boss).
Awesome boss started calling people into the conference room. Oh, no! Don't worry. I'm golden. Yep. Shiny and happy and just a big old glowing ray of sunshine. See, awesome boss sat pooper down and went through the "bad" parts one at a time. Most of them she deemed good or at least passable. The others I know were crap. I know it because I cut them. And when I cut them I was frustrated from being talked to every single day for TWO WEEKS. So I pushed. I cut stuff that I didn't think would go, but what the hell? We would've thrown that piece out whether I cut it or not, so let's see if it would go.
Not-boss came back and told me the story. That really made my day. Maybe even my work. Because even though there are some people that don't want to get their asses in trouble, I got mine burned many times. And over stuff that wasn't my fault. That's not even the point though. The point is that I took my licks. I plowed through when the thorny weeds wrapped around my hands and tugged me toward the door. Just sneak out. I didn't, of course, and I had not only not-boss put himself out there for me, but re-cut girl, doesn't-want-to-be-boss, AND awesome boss at bat. Defending me. Throwing pooper's whiny bs right back in his stupid poopy face. And honestly, THAT feels pretty damn good.
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