PARTIAL APOLOGY

There's one thing I took for granted when I wasn't working in the city. At the end of my shift I could just get in my car, and go home. I didn't have to worry about getting on the same subway car as my manager and having to talk, even though I know it's going to be a long and awkward trip home.

Tonight however, despite an awkward run in, I think I may have a new -found respect for my manager, (as much as I hate to admit it). The GM who hired me was fired the day after doing so. This is never a good sign when you're the new kid.The day after that, Mark, my new manager started working and he disliked me from the start. He was tried to get me to quit by giving me shit shifts, and bullshit excuses. I knew it, he knew it, everyone knew it. I wouldn't quit for three reasons. One, because I'm stubborn, two because I knew I was right, and three because I thought he was an asshole and I wanted to spite him.( All of which are very mature reasons, of course). When my favorite assistant manager was recently fired for no good reason, it simply added fuel to the fire.

Lately however, I've noticed a change. He's been cracking jokes with us, lightening up, and actually acknowledging that I do a good job. I realize that the owners who are higher up on the food chain then he is have been getting rid of managers left and right for years now. Maybe he was just worried about his job. Talking to him on the subway made me see that he's in the same boat as all of us. Not that I want to be best friends, but perhaps we both understand that there is an unspoken
"I'm sorry, I was wrong about you."