Sarah is the wife of a Vermont Guard member serving in Iraq. She also co-author's a blog with her husband Roger.
Roger writes about life in Iraq; Sarah about life left behind.
asked my employer, where I’ve worked for the past nearly 8 years, if the company could show support for me and my husband by sponsoring the shipping costs to send him his bike to Iraq....
Since I’ve been with my employer for almost 8 years and my boss is an avid cyclist, I thought he would be quite enthusiastic about sponsoring the shipping costs. Additionally, a few years ago we had a new employee who was an aspiring Olympic athlete. Upon hearing of her aspirations, my boss, within months of her hire date, made a grand announcement in a staff meeting about how the company would sponsor her efforts! The company then proceeded to purchase a rather expensive and particular gym bag for her and paid for part (if not all) of the airfare for her to attend a contest in Arizona. Then she quit. She was with our company about 6 months, I’d guess.
Then after Roger left for the theater, this very same boss made yet another grand announcement in another staff meeting about how we should all show support for our troops and in particular, we can make a big difference for one soldier who is very near and dear to one of our employees. He and I also held a discussion a while back about all the military base closings and he said that he felt that was doing the military a grave injustice to themselves because it’s important for our service members to be seen as members of our community who work, shop, go to the post office, etc. just like the rest of us.
So, with those experiences as my guide, I proceeded with my request to send a soldier his bike. I genuinely expected an enthusiastic response.
Instead, I found that first he had to “think” about it and discuss it with his business partner (even though I’ve seen him make other financial decisions – without needing such discussion –such as matching a collection for a wedding gift or for sending flowers or a donation for a death). Then, he had to “lecture” me about how even though he’s the boss, he’s not made of money and how it was a lot of money (my original estimate was $75-100 based on what the bike shop told me). He also had to tell me how the money the company could give for such things comes straight from his pocket and how that’s ballet, violin, horse, and piano lessons for his kids. And that his suffering about his father with Alzheimer’s is more painful than my suffering about Roger. In short, it was very unpleasant. I felt like a beggar child, humiliated for asking for support from a place where I’ve dedicated much of my time and energy.
Final answer was that the company (begrudgingly) would pay $35 toward the shipping costs. I’m not one to participate in head games or be stubborn to spite myself but I honestly felt that I couldn’t accept this contribution under the circumstances. It was quite clear to me that unless the offer of support was his idea, not mine, then it doesn’t have validity and I’m just a mooch, not a soldier’s wife honestly seeking support where I thought it would be. So, I quietly paid the shipping costs then sent an e-mail to my boss letting him know that I didn’t expect my request to generate such an unpleasant situation and that I didn’t realize the money would present such a hardship (the word he used, not me). And that I would not be asking for support from the company again.
A week or so later she was fired from her job.
“It’s all over the office that I’m an a**hole and if you think you can post to a public site and say things like that, then you no longer need to be working here.” (In other words, you’re fired, get out.) He said somebody would be up to help me. So, there you have it. Freedom of speech. A deployed soldier’s wife asks for help, is treated like crap, then fired for talking about it.
Now it's important to note that Sarah never mentioned who her employer was, nor her boss' name. I guess he just didn't like what he saw when he was made to look in the mirror.
Way to go Boss Man. Nice way to support the troops.
The fact is there are many out there like Boss Man: people who have no idea what it means to sacrifice, let alone sacrifice for their country; who are all there with the big talk but when it comes down to even giving up a few measly bucks, they just aren't there.
And it's a damn shame.
So any of out there who has a job for Sarah, please go here and contact her.
It would certainly help Roger put his mind at ease and concentrate on the job he has to do instead of having to worry about his wife.
And it would help Sarah forget about the bastard that dumped her during her time of need.
