Saturday, September 23, 2006

Return To Sender

Hmmm...This post is troubling to me. It's freeing, also. That's the troubling aspect of it. I guess I should just type and see what concoction my mixed emotions will present.

Recently I interviewed for a job with the Post Office. The entire process consisted of taking the postal exam last year, passing it, and then having your name placed on a list to be called when positions became open. I received a notice on August 12th informing me that my name had been reached and that I was to have an interview August 16th.

Actually, I had forgotten about the Post Office...I mean, nobody ever retires from there until they have to. Good money, excellent benefits, and a pension plan. WOOHOO! This is a job that I just had to have.

The Application - Twice on the application it asked if you have ever been terminated from a job. If you have followed my blog, you may recall that I was fired from a job in April of 2005 for passing out a bookmark for my ebook. I no longer have the ebook, and am not affiliated with the site. Well, I couldn't lie - it's the government. If Watergate unfolded, what exactly would make me think my past trangression would remain hidden?

I told the truth, the entire truth, and then told some more. Everything else about my application was fine. My personality, my work ethics, my past work experience and my eagerness was beyond the call of duty. A duty that had something to do with opening up storage bins and taking mail out. Nothing spectacular, but something that would keep the US Postal Service moving flawlessly.

I found out yesterday that I wasn't the best candidate for the job. Hmmm...I guess I have to believe that. I mean, they don't know who I really am - or do they? I truly believe that me being me, my following my dream - my passion, is why I didn't get the job.

So many questions were asked about the infamous bookmark. What did it say? Your former boss wrote on his report that it said something. Write an essay stating what it said and what exactly happened. I did that twice. I explained it three times - to the same person. I told that I had my baby, Wait for Love: A Black Girl's Story in circulation, too. I received an excellent recommendation from my former surpervisor, you know, the one I worked under when I was fired. He wasn't the one who fired me, he actually requested that I be written up, and given another chance. We actually conferred about what I said and what he would say, so we would be on the same page, and hopefully I would be hired.

Not qualified? Or too qualified to cause "problems"? Hmmm...once again I have to say my bookmark cost me a job. At least that's what I believe.

I'm sure there are many people out there who can do many things better than I. They have paper that says so. That I don't doubt. But in this case, hmmm...doubt is all I have.

I'm not going to list the conversations that took place during this process, but they are guiding me to feel that it came down to my previous shortcoming. So many questions about a bookmark. No questions about my present job, my supervisors, my military background...no questions that would help me get an -in-it-for-the-long-haul-retirement-job.

If you do a search of Wanda D. Hudson, you'll come up with a few listings. I believe a search escorted me out of a position. Am I upset? Hmmm... HELL YEAH! Not because I didn't get the job. I'm upset because of the reason I believe I didn't get the job. Will I ever know the "real" reason? HELL NAW!

Once again, life goes on. In my heart I know I'm talented. I'm the fabulous comedian Miss WandaLuv. I'm sexy - kinda chunky - not that FAT Chance chunk...sexy chunk. :-)

The Post Office stamped me with a rubber marker that says Return To Sender. The one thing they surely failed to realize is this - The sender welcomed me back with open arms. When He sends me out again, get ready for Wanda D. Hudson, because there will be no limit for what my passion will allow me to do.

3 comments:

Vanessa A. Johnson said...

Hey Wanda,
That sucks what happened? I'm still having trouble believing your old job fired you because of passing out a bookmark. Just goes to show you, THEY will do anything they can to keep us down, not understanding that it's HE who will help us to rise up each time. Blessings to you.

Love & Peace,
VeeJay

Grad04 said...

We had this conversation a few days ago. I know you have better things coming to you. Look at it like this, even though having a job with the Postal Service would involve having some great benefits, there are always some disadvantages included. They aren't going to expose those. Take the positive out of this and continue to look up. You are a strong black woman with a talent. Use your talent to get ahead!! Things will fall into place.

MsJayy said...

I know it's hard to hold on to this in the moment but we both know that everything happens for a reason. Keep your head up Sis...He has something bigger & better in mind for you.