Prophet
Regular Member
So, the short condensed version of the story is as follows. For the past 3 months or so I have been working as a personal trainer and business manager for an exclusive fitness center in Pittsburgh. Not exclusive snooty but exclusive pricey - $100 a week exclusive. Anyways, we were doing some remodeling that I was arranging in order to put in some pull up bars and punching bags so on an off day when there wouldn't be any clients in I swung by the gym, it was a nice day so no jacket, OCing my 1911 as I do, to check out the progress. My boss Christina was there and we went over some remodeling ideas for the place and shot the breeze for about 30 minutes until her kids showed up (10 yr olds or so). I have other errands to run so I bid them a good day and go.
Later in the evening I get an email telling me who disrespected she felt that I carried my gun in the gym and how I didn't even cover it up when her children came - ahhh, the CHILDREN!!! - suffice it to say, I'm blown away. In her email she made it seem like I was some aberation of normal society...like i was defective. I email saying im blown away and that i really didn't feel comfortable comin in on sunday because of what she said.
Fast forward on Tuesday when I go in and she and another trainer and I have a meeting in which I am told that if I wish to continue to work there I will have to stop Open Carrying...IN PITTSBURGH! The entire city. Here rationale was that since I represent her business that clients might feel uncomfortable with me if they saw me on the street OC'ing. I find that ridiculous though im sure there are people who would feel that way. Just like there are people who might not want to be trained by a homosexual or a black guy but would she tolerate those kind of clients? I wonder.
Anyways, she gives me until tonight to decide whether I want to keep my job. Im not gonna lie fellas...it was tempting...until I came to my senses. This is the email I sent her...which I guess is my letter of resignation.
She responded quickly saying that I should toss my feelings to the wind and its not who i am its who i am choosing to be.
I knew she wouldn't understand. But I feel good and can go to bed tonight a man, and not so pariah who would sell his soul for some pieces of silver.
And please, no bashing...she's a good boss. Just very misguided in this.
But any thoughts pro or con would be welcomed.
Later in the evening I get an email telling me who disrespected she felt that I carried my gun in the gym and how I didn't even cover it up when her children came - ahhh, the CHILDREN!!! - suffice it to say, I'm blown away. In her email she made it seem like I was some aberation of normal society...like i was defective. I email saying im blown away and that i really didn't feel comfortable comin in on sunday because of what she said.
Fast forward on Tuesday when I go in and she and another trainer and I have a meeting in which I am told that if I wish to continue to work there I will have to stop Open Carrying...IN PITTSBURGH! The entire city. Here rationale was that since I represent her business that clients might feel uncomfortable with me if they saw me on the street OC'ing. I find that ridiculous though im sure there are people who would feel that way. Just like there are people who might not want to be trained by a homosexual or a black guy but would she tolerate those kind of clients? I wonder.
Anyways, she gives me until tonight to decide whether I want to keep my job. Im not gonna lie fellas...it was tempting...until I came to my senses. This is the email I sent her...which I guess is my letter of resignation.
Chris,
The depth of soul searching and questioning I have done in the past 24 hours is a testament to how much I love working at the gym and for you. With that being said, I cannot in good conscience continue to be a trainer with your restriction on the manner of how I live my life and practice my patriotism.
I asked everyone I knew, Jake, roommates, co-workers at (my other job) and to the last one they all agreed that I should capitulate and do as you ask. They all know how much I love working for you...but they aren't the ones who'd have to look at themselves in mirror and judge themselves to be a sellout of their beliefs.
I slept very fitfully last night, tossing and turning, weighing the costs of one little self betrayal against the opportunity and potential there is. I even turned to religion to help me find a way but alas, as the book says,
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul."
I grasp that you and others don't understand why this is such an important issue to me but if I were to do as you ask I would turn my back upon one of the very foundations of my being. This isn't some Army hold over thing that I can "get past" or re-evaluate. This is a firm and honestly held belief that if, for a few pieces of silver, I were to turn from would morally bankrupt me.
And I could have lied to you. I could have said "I'll do as you ask". I could wear a coat for the rest of winter, and then after that, risk that I wouldn't run into anyone from the gym. I could do that save for 2 reasons, 1: I'd be lying about what I believe in which is just as bad as turning away from it and 2: I respect you too much to lie.
Its funny that this came up this week, the week of Martin Luther King Jrs birthday because I had been spending time reading over things he said and things he went through and now, looking back on a thing he said I am almost ashamed that I weighed your ultimatum for so long. He said:
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
My principles wouldn't amount to anything and therefore would be worthless if I just tossed them aside at the first difficult decision that was forced upon me. My principles may be tossing aside the best opportunity I have had in a good long while, but that is merely a reflection of how deeply those principles run in me.
Would you really prefer if I could simply toss them aside and do as you ask? Would that really be the kind of person you wanted in your business?
It makes me heart sick that I have to say no to you in this matter...but it would kill the small idealistic part of me if I said yes.
-Prophet
She responded quickly saying that I should toss my feelings to the wind and its not who i am its who i am choosing to be.
I knew she wouldn't understand. But I feel good and can go to bed tonight a man, and not so pariah who would sell his soul for some pieces of silver.
And please, no bashing...she's a good boss. Just very misguided in this.
But any thoughts pro or con would be welcomed.