Ship Of Fools, on a cruel cruel sea

Yesterday I did something that most people would find unimaginable. I quit a job I could not afford to loose. I'll try to keep this long story short. The first day I pulled into Saint George I saw a construction site with a sign that said "Dick's Sporting Goods coming soon". I thought to myself that it would be a perfect scenario for me. Five and a half moths later they begin the hiring process. First I applied for the freight lead position, then footwear lead, followed by apparel lead. No response so I applied for a generic position. Went thru the first interview and onto the second. Metioned that with my experience I felt the lead freight position would be ideal for me. " Well we hire everyone on as temporary and then assess the employees thru the opening process..." Okay. Then I go to the cult like orientation meeting. In the a.m. we met the store manager and two assistants. After lunch the bike tech, gun tech, running specialist and lastly the freight lead was introduced! Before any work was done! Then I looked at the guy, a fucking douche bag who looks like he'd been hit in the face with a cast iron skillet.(I myself have had several cranial injuries, but the real point is those of you who know my work know that no one can out work, out organize, out time manage, out drive a receiving dept.) Well I need the money so I got past that. The following Wed. I went in to see my schedule for the first week of incoming trucks. I saw that I was scheduled for only one afternoon shift. Again I reconciled and thought of the whooping $60.00 it would bring me. The following Sunday a.m. I woke up to find a message from the store manager asking me to come in on Monday. Sure. I went in and said I would do Thursday as well and the next week I could do Tues. Wed. and Fri.

I went in on Thurs (yesterday) for my shift and before clocking in reviewed the next weeks schedule. Again one day, a whole store pre opening drink the kool-aid rally. I was ready to just turn around and go right back out, but I decided to give it some time. As I worked I just kept getting more upset. If you call someone in and they do as well as volunteer other days you should react in kind. When everyone went to lunch I pulled aside the assistant manager and told him "I don't see this working. I thought blah blah blah". In the sports world if you want more ice time you step up and perform. I did but was still benched. I flip flop and say to myself that I should have just stuck it out and sucked up as many hours as possible, but the true side of me says I made the right move on principle. I may end up financially broke but I wont end up like a broken mustang saddling around some lower down higher up. Comes a time you've got to follow your heart and not fiscal policy.(Gandhi once paraphrased Jesus' words at Matthew 4:4 by saying "Man does not live on bread alone. He sometimes prefers self respect to food"). So many bosses making bad decisions that are covered up by the good honest efforts of those who work beneath them. As the Dead song says "I wont slave for beggars pay likewise gold and jewels, but I will slave to learn the way to sink your ship of fools."

In closing I have to say that Dick's sporting goods is a great company. Founded by a man who's business plan was refused by his boss who then took his idea and created "Dick's" back in 1948. It seems as though here they are more into games than sports.