Fate of Rocky Mountain News to be announced

It might be cathartic, but as someone who has lived through something similar, it's really hard to enjoy or relax when you don't have a job. If you have a family, it makes it 100X more stressful.

 

Mizzou, I understand where you're coming from as I do have a family and also have gone through something similar. I wasn't talking about taking a week or a month, though, just the rest of this weekend. I can only imagine the stress level those like Chuck at the RMN have experienced in the last 48 hours, so all I'm saying is to avoid short circuiting all together, stepping away from the situation and all of the things that remind you of what happened can't hurt.

 

In 1995, I was laid off from a paper I worked at for 25 years. It happened while I was on vacation in Maui. (It was a family reunion sort of thing for my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary.)
The last day I worked before the vacation, a Friday, there was a memo that "everybody had to be in the office on Monday at 10 a.m." I worriedly told my boss I was on a plane Saturday. He stuttered a bit, then said I should call in. (The asshole knew I was dust.) I debated whether to say fuck it and wait until I got home, or call in. But the curiosity was overwhelming, and there were some ominious messages on my answering machine. I called in and got the bad news.
From that point, I focused on NOT ruining the vacation for my family. And I did OK with that during the day when we were swimming, snorkeling, shopping, dining, etc. I put on a happy face.
But at night, when you become pensive, it was fucking nerve-wracking. I couldn't sleep. I tossed in bed, got up at 3 in the morning, walked across the street and sat in the sand, staring at moon-lit waves in the dark. And that began to catch up with me as weariness set in.
Chuck, you'll get through this, I know. We have never met, we have PM'd. I was able to share in the PaulO Vegas reunion via photos taken by one of the wives.
As you prove regularly here, you're a good man. I'm in a better place now because of that long ago layoff. I do know times are different now, but try to believe that something good will happen.
Again, best of luck.

 

Did you tell the family, or did you hold it in and tell them afterwards?

In hindsight, would you handle it the same or differently if you could do it over?

 

My family knew. I probably would have done it the same way. Except my biggest mistake was spending too much time on the phone checking in with others who were or were not laid off. A lot of commiseration. I didn't really need that. There was an immediate move to file a lawsuit. They wanted me in. It was too soon to do anything.
Today, my wife would tell you the same thing, I handled it well except the excessive number of phone calls.

 

I think Chuck has displayed so much grace and class in his posts while dealing with enormous pressure and stress. It has to be devastating to him and all the folks at the Rocky, but he has handled this tremendously. Posts of the year? You betcha.

 

I have it on good word that Dean Singleton recorded a message and used his electronic database to call the formerly Rocky subscribers. He made it sound as if he were doing everyone a favor, including the hires of a few folks from the Rocky.

Glad I wasn't there for it ... might have smashed the phone into pieces too small to recognize.

 

Hell, I've printed it out. If/when SJ disappears for good, I don't want to lose those words.

It's the best post in this board's history.

 

Damn solid indeed

 

This has been a sad but touching thread. Mile High, you are all class. Good luck to you and everyone else from the RMN.

 

SoCalDude, my point exactly. Of course I don't expect Chuck and the others at the RMN to try to block out all the emotions and anxiety all together. That's just plain unrealistic. But if you had cut short your Maui vacation either by flying back yourself or taking the whole family with you, what good would that have done? The same bad news still would have been waiting for you and now not only you but your family would be wallowing in despair. So at least during those moments of snorkeling, swimming, shopping, dining and just enjoying each other's company, you were able to keep control of the most important things in your life.

 

Not sure if this has been addressed, but I guess RMN discussed being online only, but Singleton had to give his nod due to the JOA and he wouldn't do it.

http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDFlMDM2MjU2MDY4YjA4OWUxZTU4MzZkOGUxZGViZmU=