This time last year, I was anticipating moving from the Orlando area to either Jacksonville or Gainesville. As most of you know, I later interviewed for the Store Manager position with a book store in Gainesville, and got the job. I was told by many within the company that while I could possibly go elsewhere and make more money, that our company treated people better; that it was worth it to be part of a corporation that cared for it's people. I thought I had found a company that I could possibly even retire with.

Further supporting my delusions of stability, my store has been at it's current location since the mall in Gainesville opened in 1978, and is the only book store in that mall. In the short time I've been there, I've raised the customer loyalty card program by double digits, and had 3 successful charity drives (including the Christmas one for Ken Block's charity, Lyrics for Life. My store collected over $5400 in donations of books and stuffed animals in under 6 weeks - placing 8th in our region - the entire Eastern side of our "zone" and 333% to our store goal) While our sales have not met company plan, we have had a respectable showing considering the state of the economy.

9 days before Christmas, I was informed that they are closing my store. Up until today, I was lead to believe that the reason my store had been chosen to close was because the mall itself had declined the option on our lease so they could bring a competitor into a vacant store directly across the hall from mine. While that is probably a major factor in itself, it doesn't help that our company has found itself in financial trouble (in my own humble opinion) partially as a result of some very poor business decisions at the highest levels of the company. For example, several years ago, an outside firm advised that this company was too top heavy and should eliminate positions at the Home Office. They followed the advice they were given, but didn't put any protections in place to prevent those positions from being re-filled, and earlier this year had to lay off people from the exact places they did last time. The difference is that this time, the Home Office was not the only place with casualties. Not only is my store closing (along with more than 80 others across the country), but they are realigning districts, and my boss is losing his job as well. This man is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of working for in my life, and I will truly miss working for him.

As it turns out, the company for which I work is, in fact, just like every other retail corporation in the USA: heartless & cruel. Why I ever thought things might be different is beyond me. All I can say is that this company is losing some of the best, most loyal workers it has, and has frightened many others within the company. Those of you who work for the same company as I do (and there are a couple on my friends list), I advise you this: Go for the money. Let the man with the country singer's name go down with the ship. Jump before it sinks.