Big Mike reacts to his dad being suddenly laid off from his prestigious bank job
“Hi Mike! Why do you look so depressed? Your eyes generally light up when I show up. I thought I am your cash cow?”
“Yes, from now on you should show up more often. I need to milk the cash cow more aggressively. Didn’t you hear the horrendous news?”
“No, what happened? You have to repeat the history class?”
“No, I am doing well in history class now. My dad got laid off yesterday. It was totally unannounced and unexpected. There was no talk of any layoff in dad’s office. In fact, mom said my dad looked very happy when he left home as the Bank President was scheduled to visit dad’s office yesterday. Dad even mentioned to her that he had to discuss a number of important issues with his President including the possible opening of several new branches locally. Instead, the President held a courtyard meeting with all managers and announced the unplanned layoff, including some senior managers. Even then, it didn’t don on dad that he could be one of them. As soon as the meeting ended, they started handing out the termination notices they call pink slips. Dad was shocked to see one for him.”
“Yes, I am aware of this terrible news. Your mom called me last night. You are too young to be burdened with such news so I was basically trying to avoid having that discussion. We are all very upset about it, but your dad is one of the best in the business, at least locally, so he will find another job.”
“Unc, I heard no bank is hiring locally. If no bank is hiring here, how is dad going to get a job? Last night I heard dad telling mom that we couldn’t go elsewhere because of our house. He said something like we are way under water with our house as we bought it at the top of the market four years ago. I guess dad meant our house is worth a lot less today so we are kind of stuck here. Mom was crying. I hate to see mom cry. She wants to get back to teaching, but she says she has not been teaching for almost six years now which will make it difficult for her to find a job. She is still hopeful since there is a shortage of science teachers in our area. She plans to visit the School Board Office tomorrow to see if any jobs are available in her area. I hope she finds a job, otherwise how are we going to survive?”
“Don’t worry, Mike. True, banks are not hiring much at lower levels but there are always some movements at higher levels. Your dad is very well-known in the local banking community for his business development skill. I think he would be tapped to run a local chain. See, because of the lingering recession, big banks are not doing much; they are just trying to survive. Unfortunately, they are not paying much attention to the new business development which is silly. This is the time the smart banks should intensify their business development activity to steal market share from their laid-back competitors. Your dad thought their bank was keen to expand so he was working hard to put together new business development strategies. The fact that the new Bank President decided to downsize the business development department that your dad was heading shows he is another clueless business leader on course to ditch this successful bank.”
“I was so proud of dad’s job. He not only worked out of the tallest and fanciest building in town, he had his own office on the 34th floor that overlooked the big river. I loved watching the river from his windows. What a spectacular view his office had! I can’t believe he won’t be there anymore. I couldn’t talk enough of my dad’s office to my friends. I even told Gauti that someday I would take him there so he could see how gorgeous our big river is. It’s all gone for us. Unc, what happens if dad doesn’t get a job? How do you think we will survive? I don’t want to move to a big city. My life is here. I love my house. I love my backyard with all these beautiful trees. I love my friends. I love my school. I love my beautiful church. To live here, I am even ready to forgive Ricky and his gang. I don’t want to leave this place. I have fun talking to you. If we leave, you won’t visit me anymore. We will perhaps meet again when I am all grown up and we won’t have anything to talk about. You think I am still a baby - with a big mouth - so you enjoy listening to me. If we suddenly meet when I am all grown up, we will have a false conversation without any connection from our hearts. I don’t want that. I want to have a normal upbringing, surrounded by the people and things I love.”
“Mike, don’t get too carried away by this. Your dad is an exceptionally qualified person so he shouldn’t have any problem finding another job. And I have a feeling the next one is going to be even better. Perhaps he will be running a large regional bank. Alternatively, if he doesn’t get a job within a reasonable span, he will probably start his own consulting and advisory services by leveraging his expertise and connections. He knows many top bankers around the country so he can build up his business quite fast. All in all, I don’t see any severe threat to your family’s financial well-being. It’s nothing more than a temporary setback. You guys will be just fine.”
“Can you get him a job in your factory?”
“Ours is an engineering shop, not a financial services company. I am a production engineer dealing with machine tools all day long. Your dad is not an engineer so he won’t be happy there doing some production shop work. He is an expert in his field and he has to stick to it. He will be fine; it’s just a matter of time. He will start talking to some head-hunters soon, letting them know his availability. You will see how fast they line up some interviews for him.”
“Gauti was telling me his dad has been trying so hard to find a job but no company is ready to even interview him. If his dad is having such a tough time, why do you think it is going to be any easier for my dad? Gauti’s dad thinks banks are in such a bad shape that they will not even consider hiring, at least until the next Presidential election is over, which, as I understand from Gauti, is over a year away.”
“Yes, we are in a recession, the worst one since the Great Depression. True, nowadays jobs are very hard to come by, but your dad is a cut above the rest so I strongly feel it is not going to be that big a deal for him. It may take two weeks or two months or even six months but he will be fine. While growing up I looked up to him. Although he was ten years older, he was a wonderful big brother for me. Whenever I needed help he was always there. In fact, following in his footsteps I wanted to go to a top MBA school but he advised me to study engineering first. I am happy today because I feel I am in a good position despite bad economic times. Unlike most of my friends who studied business or liberal arts I am not living in fear at all. I am finishing MBA next year so I will further strengthen my footing. And it’s because of your dad’s sound advice. Mike, I have known your dad longer than you do. You all will be fine. I will be always there to help you all.”
“Dad loved his work. How many times I heard him say he can’t wait for the Monday morning. Now without a job I wonder how he would feel sitting home all day and wishfully staring at his emails. If I don’t see my friends one day, I know I feel terrible. It would be the same for him. Even the thought that his friends are busy at work while he is sitting lonely at home without any work will make him awfully sick. I know my dad is very smart. He knows how the world has been changing. With millions of people out of work he knows life will not be easy anymore. I don’t think he will fall for any of this sweet and comforting talk that he will soon get a job, perhaps a better one. Mom also believes dad will get another job but meanwhile she just hopes dad doesn’t lose self-respect. He hasn’t gone through this experience before in his life. Mom said dad got this job right after he finished studies. He loved this job so much that he routinely turned down better offers from other banks. Some of his old friends moved on to better-paying jobs, but dad didn’t care to do so. Anyway, I wish there was a way to often remind him that losing the job was not his fault.”
“Mike, you are getting unnecessarily too upset about it. He will be just fine.”
“I know that. But meanwhile I hope he does not go though some tumultuous time like Gauti’s dad. Gauti says his dad looks terribly disoriented. My dad loved to get his first cup of morning coffee from his favorite Morningstar chain. Now I know he would be ashamed to go out and buy his favorite coffee. I am not going to waste money on candy bars anymore. Instead, I will save all that money and buy dad coffee from time to time. It’s not going to be difficult for me to buy the coffee because they just opened one of their stores in our neighborhood strip center. I also know dad likes his coffee black with two sugar substitutes. I just hope all of my good intentions do not backfire, hurting his feelings even more. Should I try that?”
“That would be a nice gesture. I don’t think your dad would take it negatively.”
“But their coffee is expensive - costs over two dollars for a medium cup. I wish they lower the price to 99 cents so I can afford to buy it often. The economy is so bad but they still charge so much for a cup which I do not understand. I guess they figured out their buyers are addicted to their coffee and they are taking advantage of that addiction. Unc, can you ask them to lower the price of the medium to 99 cents? If they accept, let them know it was my idea. Also, ask them if they could put my picture on their coffee cups? Tell them I am very good-looking so my picture on the cup will boost their sales. Don’t worry - I will get a nice haircut, take shower, and dress nice for the picture-taking. I will even wear my favorite dragon shirt. Instead of fire coming out of the dragon’s mouth it will be coffee. I am sure Granny can change the color of the fire to coffee color to make it suitable for the picture. Do you think you can talk to them today? Talk to the president of Morningstar so all of their cups around the world will have my picture. Under the picture, let them write ‘Brilliant Mike – Future Banking Mogul – is instrumental in lowering your coffee prices. Thank him via ThanksMike@MorningstarCoffee.com.”
“Wow! That is one hell of a campaign.”
“Unc, I can handle this through their website. Instead, help me out with a different campaign. I heard the big bankers are coming in front of the US Congress next week for a stress test. Tell the congressmen and women to give these bankers very heavy stress tests. Let them lift very heavy weights on their dumbbells and barbells. Ask all TV channels to broadcast the show live so people around the world can see how weak and incapable these bankers are. My dad is the smartest banker while these dumb and worthless bankers laid him off. It is totally unjust and is uncalled for. If they cannot lift the weight, tell the congressmen and women to beat them. Beat them! Beat them! My dad is the smartest banker and these dummies laid him off. Beat them! Beat them! My dad is the greatest dad on earth. I don’t want my dad to suffer because of these evil bankers. He doesn’t deserve this. Beat them! Beat them! Beat them real hard!”
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