Day 559: 5 Minute Freewrite: Thursday - Prompt: quota

Ever felt like the only reason you are allowed to work in a big, tall building is because of some quota?

It's NOT a good feeling.

People around here look down on me as if they were looking down on me from the top of this building. The lip curls, too, are at Olympic levels of excellence. I haven't seen one today that was worth less than a 9.2.

"They just needed a woman."

"They just needed someone of color."

"Another affirmative action baby that took a job from someone more deserving."

"If only we could get rid of this [insert favorite unholy word] QUOTA"...

Here's the first twist. I know their contempt masks their jealousy and their fear, their fear that there may be many more like me who can compete and can compete well for their jobs.

Here's the second twist. I'm not competing for any of their jobs. I bought the company, lock, stock, and barrel. The stock's in the tank. I picked it up for a song. There never was a quota here. They just didn't hire people like me. But they weren't even thinking someone like me in America could BUY this.

There is not and never will be a quota. I'm just doing undercover boss and owner today. Tomorrow, we'll see who wishes there was a quota to keep a certain number of THEM in the building. Things are not looking good, based on the state of the company. I'm going to hire a whole slew of people with new ideas and different outlooks on the world. No quotas. We'll see how much this crowd likes that, tomorrow.

Photo credit: Deeann D. Mathews (the author), on Oakland's Broadway on a gray evening