Every year my birthday (May 4th) has been surrounded by emotional conflict. The happiness of a birthday celebration with all your friends and family meets the stress and pressure of finals, one year after another. But this year, 2006, promised to be different... I was so excited to think that my birthday would just be my birthday, and not the day in which my Calculus final revealed whether or not I should pass the class. And then came the news, that of course you are all aware of by now, layoffs. The most intense of all my emotionally conflicted birthday weeks, Friday, May 5th, would be the last day for almost the entire Animation Department here at DNA Productions.
And so the day began, mostly in denial of what the coming hours meant, with a shot to be exported here and and a retake there... We were busy enough to keep our minds distracted.
Lunch came around 12:30, a good bye celebration for our assistant coordinator, Amy. The celebration was large, light hearted, and fun. It wasn't until after lunch when the goodbye emails started pouring in that the day started feel as heavy as it was.
It started out with an Unemployment Orientation, filled with corny jokes and constant "tough crowd" observations aimed at getting a laugh or two. The seminar was boring and depressing at best, and was ended with a comment "I thought you guys were suppose to be animated people," in which I responded "we were, we're layed off now" -- That got a laugh or two.
After the seminar, it was off to the Animation meeting. Where everyone's favorite person, Karen Prell, made a heartfelt and loving speech about her time here at DNA that brought us all to tears. It was only downhill from there.... Down the hill behind the building, in fact, to smash the hell out of David Tart's retarded cuckoo Clock.
One cannot begin to understand the despise we all felt for this clock without having to listen to it chime its submerged submarine sounds every hour, off the hour, month after month after month... There were bows, explosives, airsoft guns, hammers, cantaloupes, tomatoes, and even a recliner to assist in its destruction. The entire animation department lined up for an opportunity to express the anguish and anger we were feeling that day. It wasn't long before the clock was pulverized, and we all gathered in the breakroom for some much needed drinks and laughter over the clock's demise.
All that was left was to say goodbye to what many of us can only describe as our second family.
And for those of us who have yet to expire, repeat.
