The Walmart F Word-Favoritism or Hope Still Stinks

I have often railed against the inadequacies of hope. I believe my exact words are "hope sucks." I still feel that way, and yet here I am, like a plain girl waiting by the phone on a Friday night. It could happen. And that is the part that just makes me furious. I just hate the up in the air, not knowing feeling. I suppose I could be an Eeyore sort of person, but why would you bother to get up in the mornings? I think the thing that I would most like to see is a sense of justice in the world. Maybe a sense that there really is a Divine Power and that this Power might be on my side. In a way that is a sort of favoritism, isn't it? And believe it or not, this was originally going to be about you-know-where and their endless displays of favoritism. But I started thinking about favoritism and that evolved into hope. That dreaded four letter word. I think the problem is that if you get disappointed enough, you start to be afraid of hope. As if just the audacity of such a thing is going to open you up to big disappointments. Who knows? I am still trying to figure out why this ended up being a blog about hope instead of the favoritism often displayed at a certain retail giant who shall remain nameless. Maybe it's about hope because of Melanie H. Now Melanie sent me a wickedly funny email about her store in Tennessee. It seems that Miss Melanie was up for a promotion to department manager, or whatever it is that they call them now, and believed that she had an excellent chance of getting the job. But she was completely unaware that another associate had gotten in the habit of chatting up one of the co-managers during smoking breaks, and other times. Guess who got the gig? Was it A) the associate who has been in the same department for the last three years, learning everything that there is to know about her area, and often taking on more responsibility so that she would have a realistic idea of what was expected of her? Or do you think it was B) the new guy who had a knack for always being up the butt of the co-manager no matter where she was. Come on people-I've quizzed you before. I shouldn't even have to tell any one who has ever worn a blue/red/green/tan vest the answer to this one. But just for fun (and for any newbies who may be reading my stuff for the first time) the answer is B. Melanie is so disgusted that she wants to transfer out of the department but has been asked to wait until the new department whatever- they- call- them- now- is ready to stand on his own two feet. I think the word I am looking for is chutzpah. Melanie feels like a used condom, and I can't say that I blame her. With the job market as tight as it is, she feels stuck, but the first chance that she gets, she is going to bolt. Can you blame her? She wants to work for a company that actually wants to promote the best person for the job, not the brownest nose. I hope she finds something quickly. If she does, I'll let you know. If it's a great new job with the unlimited possibilities that used to be Walmart, I'll also let you know where that mythical place is. Either way, you'll thank me later.