At first I thought the guy they were talking about was dead. DEAD. They had come into the bar area and taken a table at the end of bankette, opposite from me. I was there because the internet wasn't working in my room and I knew I would have emails from work to respond to, and then there is the blog to write. I was winding down on both. I knew Joe would be by to pick me up, it was time to get to the next gig.
As they gathered together they all mentioned about how odd it was for Thom not to be there. How sad it all was. But you could see the blood in the water and these guys circling around Thom's former power and influence. Who was going to benefit from his death? Salesmen in hotels may wear pretty suits that make them look sleek and rich, but the suits don't counteract the effect of testosterone and power.
Then one of them said, "I'll get the first of the phone calls over with' and pulled out his phone. Minutes later he was saying what firm he was calling from, and yes, yes, Thom used to handle their accounts but that would be transferred now. He grimaced at his buddies who came to a complete frozen stop. "Well, I'm sure you heard that Thom's accident had left him in a wheelchair and ..." "I understand he'd been doing the work from his home computer ... but we felt that you deserved to have a more personal touch with someone a bit more vital." That was soon to be seen as a real mistake.
"No, no, I didn't mean ... of course Thom was, I mean is one of the ... well we just thought ... wouldn't you like to meet and discuss ... Is Thom still with the company ... I believe he is staying on in some capacity ... I'd have to check ... oh he's still working your account .... Well that's great then isn't it. Nice to have chatted."
He hung up the phone and used it like a gun to point at one of the other guys, "I'm not doing that again."
I don't know any more of the story, but I'd like to. I wonder if Thom is going to take all his buisness with him if he's let go, or if these guys are going to keep their jobs when Thom finds out about the call.
Tune in next week when the sharks gather at a table near you.
2 comments:
Fark - cripple the crips and diminish the disabled. If only they knew they are trying to invisiblise the invincible!!
Fools!!
Glee
Not exactly the same thing, but I know of one male to female transsexual whose boss's boss was adamant that she should be let go because none of the clients would want to work with her after her transition to her new gender presentation. But then one of the biggest clients was insistent that she continue to handle their work, no matter what pronoun she was using.
The employee was still let go after that, but it wasn't because any of the clients were bothered by the change in her name and pronouns. It was all because the boss's boss wasn't comfortable with the transition and was so sure that it would be somehow disruptive with the clients that he couldn't seem to take in the fact that the clients weren't actually nearly so perturbed as he thought they would be. They just wanted someone who was a good worker doing their contracted tasks. And the transsexual employee happened to be very very good at what she did, so she was the one they wanted.
The person I know was unemployed for more than a year after being let go, all because of that one narrow-minded bigot who couldn't handle the fact that not all the clients were as bigoted as he was. (And it didn't help that she, like many transsexuals in transition, continued to run into prejudiced employers for a while after that.) But she is now happily employed again with an employer who is aware that "she" was once referred to as "he", but who values her for the high quality of her work first and foremost.
I think some people just can't deal with change.
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