Today hurt ... a lot.

Tripp, my best to you. I really don't know what else to write.

 

This is the best advice to be gleaned on here, and taken most immediately in these situations.

Don't worry about whether you know exactly what to say -- you probably won't -- and don't worry if the person gets emotional. They will appreciate your bent ear and shoulder to cry on, and you'll probably be glad you offered them. In fact, that should be part and parcel of why people should make the calls, write the emails, go to lunch, etc.

I once told someone -- someone I hadn't even been particularly close with, but who, in that instance, I felt I should step up and call -- that I was phoning him just because I didn't want him to feel, suddenly, like he didn't exist, the way people in such situations were often treated.

He took no offense that I just came right out and said it, and, in fact, I could tell that he was pleasantly surprised, and happy, that someone was thinking of him and had acted on it.

Because no one else had.

After spending a few minutes trading pleasantries, our thoughts on the layoffs, and his plans for the near future, I knew I'd done the right thing, for the right reasons, and that we'd both benefited.

 

My wife reminds of the time I quit a newspaper that was gutted. Not by layoffs, but by hiring freezes and resignations from fellow journalists who were fed up with the cheapskate owner. I was one of the last to get fed up too. I had a job at another paper the same day I quit. Within a year, I was designing front pages for another newspaper. A year after that, I landed at what was a 200,000 daily, designing pages, covering sports, doing everything I wanted. All the while, I was getting pay raises each time I moved. So things do work out for the better sometimes. I'm going through it again, but I have to believe better times are ahead. Perhaps not in newspapers, but somewhere.

 

Hey guys, thanks a lot for the sentiments. I had almost wished I could've locked the thread after my first post because I didn't want any replies. I just basically let what I was feeling on the inside out onto my computer screen.
It was cathartic.
But, your posts have been both helpful and encouraging.
I had already planned to make a few phone calls to the guys who were laid off yesterday, so, I'm glad to see you all encourage the same thing.
I feel sorry for those who have gone through this, or are about to. But, I appreciate this board a lot, especially in times like these. There may be arguments and inane discussion on here sometimes, but I've noticed when someone is down, we all tend to rally together to support that person in need.
SportsJournalists.com is really like one huge sports department.

Thanks.

 

Reminds me of what happened a couple of months ago with my former reporter. About a year ago, I got let go from my temp gig at another paper, but still had my current gig to fall back on. He sent me a note of encouragement and advice after he got my e-mail that I was back at my current shop.

Months later, he sent me an e-mail to let me know that he resigned from his gig. I hadn't known him that long, but I think I can read him pretty well for someone whom I haven't known that long. I could tell from the words in the e-mail that he was discouraged. It took me a while to find the right words to write, but a few hours later, I wrote him an e-mail in which I expressed my sorrow that things didn't work out. I also offered him whatever help I could.

He greatly appreciated it, and essentially got an even better gig literally the first day he was unemployed.

 

Yeah, dude, it is. Sorry I didn't respond more in this thread.

I was with your mom.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D [/insidejoke]

 

Sorry to hear it, dude. But as been said before, don't let the guilt overcome you too much. After all, if it starts to affect you, guess who's next?

 

I've come to the conclusion that reading this board results in temporary states of depression and leads me to believe beer is the answer. Not wanting to not act on my instincts, I usually go straight to the refrigerator.

Seriously, Tripp, your post got me thinking: What if this were three or four of my longtime colleagues and friends? It wasn't a good thought.

There, now I'm depressed again. And thirsty.

 

Beer, shit. A thread like this makes me want to hit the Jameson's.
That and call an old boss of mine who got whacked a few months back, just to say hi.

 

I tip my bottle of ESB to y'all in hopes that I never have to know what Tripp and buck-dub are going through.

EDIT: Clarification of "buck." Thought the little "b" se it apart enough.

 

has buck checked in?