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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Surviving Post Workplace Abuse: How I Contributed to Target's Demise in Canada



You know you've been bullied when ...

... you apologize for anything and everything.  Even to inanimate objects.  When you take responsibility for things that you really not responsible for.  It seems to be part and parcel of the process.

I clearly remember one incident in which I knocked up against my CD player ... and immediately profusely apologized to it.  I realized something was wrong with me when I was apologizing to an inanimate object which cannot feel, which does not (I hope) have emotions, etc.  It was shortly after that that I verbalized to my therapist what had happened and she pointed out that apologizing to anyone and anything about anything and everything is part of the effects of being bullied.

So, today, I am going to take partial "responsibility" for the demise of Target Canada which has been much touted in the news media this past week.  Even though in reality I'm sure I had nothing to do with its failure to succeed.  More or less, that is.

The long-awaited and much anticipated entry of Target onto Canadian soil was, apparently, a total bust.

What happened?  Why didn't it take off?  And why didn't I as a shopper who loved to go to Target in the U.S. because it was different and offered different products shop in Target Canada once it came to a location near me?

There is already a lot of conjecture on those very aspects of the failure of Target Canada by much more learned people than me.

However, they all ignore one crucial - at least to me - factor.

The Target chain does not carry yarn.  Gasp!

You heard me right.

The. Target. Chain.  Does. Not. Carry. YARN!  How dare they!?!

Basically, I cannot live without yarn.  As dramatic as that may seem.  Simply because me life post workplace abuse revolves heavily around two of my right-brain therapies:  knitting and crocheting ... both of which rely on yarn.

Our Target Canada took the spot where a Zellers store used to be.  They enlarged it.  Totally renovated it.  It even has a Starbucks in it.  It is nice, huge, spacious, clean and well-kept.  It contains lots of budget-priced merchandise.

But to me without yarn, the draw to enter those doors is simply not there.  The old Zellers had yarn.  WalMart has yarn.  Why doesn't Target carry yarn?

Part of the journey of recovery post workplace abuse is ... money.  Lack of it to be precise.

I no longer have money for luxuries.  For those things which I like but don't absolutely need ... except yarn, of course.  I always need yarn.  Yarn is not a luxury.  It's part of what keeps me going.  What I do with it is part of my recovery.

Without the presence of yarn in a store to draw me in, it's likely I won't enter unless I am specifically on a search for one particular item - which has happened.  Even with all the other items clamouring for my attention.  I simply no longer have the money to spend on things I don't need or can't use immediately.


So, yes folks.  I do take (partial) responsibility for the failure of Target to thrive in Canada.

Hmmmm....

... Or do I?

Until next time.  May be you enjoy life and navigate successfully the road ahead of you.

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