April 14th, 2015: The day I quit the call center. Sure, it paid great, but being yelled at and belittled was not worth that pay. When I got the job back in the late part of 2014, I had left my job of 4 years, which was my first job ever, Schlotzsky’s Deli. I learned a LOT there, and I felt that this Netflix call center would be the next step for me. Well, I was doing fine, up until Christmas night, when a certain customer began to belittle me for something that I just couldn’t fix for her. I tried EVERYTHING I could, and nothing worked. It just made her more upset at me, and I forget what it was that she said to me, but whatever it was, it was the last straw. I broke down. I just, couldn’t handle it anymore. I waved for my supervisor, handed him the phone, and just wept. I’ve never cried in public before. A first, I’d wish to never experience again.

Before the shift, I made my Dad upset. On Christmas day. I don’t remember what it was I did, but I remember being in a sour mood because I had to work soon. I didn’t want to leave my family, and ironically, I took my frustration of having to work on Christmas day, out on my family. This could have been my Dad’s last Christmas (thing is, it was), and I was a total jerk. I obviously didn’t know that it would be my Dad’s last Christmas then, but even still, the thought that I ruined my family’s Christmas absolutely killed me inside. I just, wept. I apologized to my Dad as soon as I got home. I don’t remember much of that conversation, but I remember him saying, “It’s alright”, and he hugged me.

As the months went by, the job got progressively worse. Customers seemed to get meaner and meaner as the days went by. I didn’t have any time to relax before work because I was not only trying to do school, but I was also helping my Dad get to his appointments since his truck got repossessed. Not to mention, my Dad wasn’t doing well from his surgery earlier in the year. They literally removed a big chunk of his colon. He wasn’t doing well. I ended up dropping out of college to focus on helping my family.

As soon as a friend of mine invited me and Jessica to a surprise engagement party in Alabama, I asked for a week off, and for the first time in my life, took a plane, and traveled to another state. Finally, I felt like I was able to escape EVERYTHING, and relax with good company. It was a wonderful time, but I’ll never forget the day I had to fly back to Texas. My stomach was on fire. I felt nauseous, just THINKING about having to talk to another customer. On the flight back, I remember listening to this song as the plane took off...

So as soon as I got back, I went to my manager, handed him my mic, and simply told him I can’t do this anymore. We shook hands, thanked each other for our time, and I left that building shaking. Like something radical just happened. I had never felt more free in my entire life. I was going to be without a job for a month, but I didn’t care. I did something foolish. I did something crazy. I did something for myself for a change.

Side note. That call center? It ended up getting shut down a year or so later for some shady doings. Not sure what, but all I know, is that I couldn’t have left at a more perfect time~ 💙