Hugged by the pale hand of death

No, it's not greater, more hysterical drama--it's an encounter with one of the Senior Admin. I didn't coin that nickname for her, but it sure suits....

The last time I had to deal with her officially was an event I referred to here:

How much do you overlook?

That was the day, just a little more than a year before I walked away, she put one of her pale, boney fingers in my face and said "Call us tomorrow with your choice, and the choice is *crappy job #1* or *worse crappy job #2*" Well, of course, I don't really take well to pressure at the best of times, and this was no exception. So, even though I'd been working at H.El(l). for 10 years, even though I had pleaded for a transfer, even though I had a graduate degree in a new burgeoning field, EVEN though I had been at the school for so long --still, they couldn't do the right thing. So, I made it easy for them. I wrote an email to every trustee, every member of senior admin, the union, the HR woman, the Super....the pale hand of death....and I told them I would not sacrifice my health and my integrity for the sake of THEIR error. So....I made up the "excess" by taking what I called an "Involuntary voluntary reduction in time". The union, of course, begged me not to do that, but I had no choice as I saw it-- if I was forced into either of the positions, I would be miserable, and spend the year awaiting an outcome in the "grievance" process.

The question I keep coming back to in my head is how do the people making those decisions sleep?


Anyway-- yesterday, I was waiting for a veggie burger from my favourite Health Food cafe, and in walks the PHOD, talking into her Blackberry (as usual). I prayed for the arrival of my Veggie Burger-to-go before her call ended, but no such luck. Not only does she make a bee line for me, she embraces me in a Boney Hug. Asks me how I am. Looks probingly into my eyes. Murmurs a soothing platitude about how a rest will be so good for me, and how glad she is I am taking care of myself. And I had to find it within myself to chuckle at the irony, later, my god-- it was in great part HER fault that I was in the predicament I was in.....and yet...... Accountability-- BIG buzzword in our district. Sure doesn't seem to apply to those who should most be held to it....