Privacy Violation

Years ago I used to work for a place here in the state where I live. I worked there 5 1/2 years. The administration bored the living daylights out of me!. I considered them narrow-minded and shallow (among many other negative characteristics). I became increasingly irritated and believed my talents were being wasted. So, I did what people in the USA do. I looked for another job that better fit my skills, talents, needs and desires. And, I found the incredibly wonderful job I hold now where I am as happy as can be. These new folks keep me intellectually challenged, use my talents and skills well and provide me with a remarkable amount of independence and autonomy.

However, there are many wonderful, hard-working, talented, honest, decent, good people who worked at the old place. Some still do. Others moved on to new jobs or retired.


Over the years at the old job, I made a number of good friends. For heavens sake, I was there 5 1/2 years. When people left, we maintained contact by phone or email. Up until a few months ago, some of the people who still worked there and I maintained contact. This is not unusual for me. I have friends and family spread over much of the US and Canada that I have maintained contact with for much longer than 5 1/2 years.

So I am out of there, driving many long miles up and down the highways singing to Bon Jovi's Lost Highway. It reminds me of how I felt the last time I drove away from the old place. Driving away from that place the last time was one of the best feelings I've ever had!


Then, the ugliness reared its head. The old place got sued. I don't even know why they got sued. They just got sued. I don't work there and I don't think it has anything to do with me. I don't even care why they got sued. I don't know what goes on at the old job and I don't care what goes on there. I do care very deeply, very passionately about some of the good people that got left behind.

So now, every email that any old friend from there (even the retired ones or the ones that quit and got new jobs)--every email from one of them--every email to one of them needs to be turned over to the lawyers. Apparently, what the lawyers are afraid of or hope for (depending on the lawyer) is that one of us will say something about the old place--something they can use. I find it profoundly annoying. I find the invasion of privacy annoying and I find the assumption that we have nothing more interesting and compelling than the old place in our lives.

What the lawyers don't seem to understand is that none of us are interested in the old place. We don't care what they are doing or not doing. We don't care what is happening at the place. We quit or retired! We don't discuss the place. We exchange pictures of grandchildren, pictues of family members, viral emals that are pretty or funny, recipes, discuss how our children are doing in Iraq, discuss the health of our parents, discuss pets--------ordinary stuff that has nothing to do with the old place. The emails are personal communications between personal friends.



In truth, I don't care if the lawyers have the emails. I am not concerned that they are going to do anything with pictures of my grandchildren, or the new living room decor. The truth of the matter is that once they have examined the emails and are unable to find any tidbits about the old place, they simply delete the emails. It is very clear that their only interest is things that go on at the old place or might have gone on.

Yesterday, after another little conversation with the lawyers, I made a decision not to contact any of those old friends again or answer any email they send me. I don't know what those old friends will think when they attempt to contact me and I simply never reply. They may think I've died. They may think I'm angry with them. They may think I'm a stuck up snob who has suddenly abandoned them.

What it comes down to is that I am giving up all contact with a large group of friends I care about dearly. Somehow, all the years of my life living in the United States, I have believed that all of us citizens were allowed free open communication with other citizens. I am very sad.