Memories of Enron

Enron? Best job i've ever had!"best" meaning we were SPOILED, big time. we had every meal catered in...partly because they were encouraging us to work through lunch and breakfast. writes KIMBERLEY.

We worked our BUTTS off. There were jokes about it being a "sweat shop" except that they paid REALLY well. There was so much food everywhere, we all suffered from a condition which eventually came to be known as "Enron belly."

I worked on the power trade floor. It was like working in a locker room...the lewd jokes, the cursing out loud. Sometimes people threw chairs when the anger and stress boiled over. I remember delivering a daily report one day and I had to walk right through one of their farts. I almost choked. It was not uncommon. The traders could behave however they wanted as long as they were making lots and lots of cash. They weren't all pigs, but some definitely were. We all thought
we were such hot shots working for Enron.

When I got the job, I was so naive. I thought it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. All those hot, young, rich traders didn't hurt either. I soon learned that they were mostly jerks, but it was still exciting. We ate at the best restaurants and charged it to the company. We'd go out to the clubs downtown together. We'd constantly hear about the wild nights when the traders would all end up at the strip joints.

It was so normal, I even went with them once. I made so many friends working there and Enron gave every employee a free home computer, even part-timers. We were livin' so large, we had no idea that it was all coming to an end.

I was working at Enron on 9/11...I remember the black dress I was wearing. I remember everyone being afraid that the nation was under attack and that our building could be next. Everyone rushed out of the building. The elevators were so full we had to take the stairs down 31 flights.

My boyfriend at the time was one of the traders on my floor and my cousin worked on another floor. We were all scrambling to find each
other. Our cell phones all went down because everyone was trying to call family. We were really frightened that the energy industry (i.e. downtown houston, that's the industry here) could be a target.

I'll never forget that morning. It was terrible. The first tower, then the second. Shortly after, the executives came running through the floors urging everyone to leave right away, and try to stay calm. That was a real shocker, to see these big guys you only saw giving speeches and in commercials come marching through the floor.

I guess even though Enron didn't fall on 9/11, it was an omen of things to come. Soon the reports started coming out...and the rumors of impending layoffs... watching the stock price fall.....everyday lower and lower. Nobody could believe what was going on. It got so that there was no trading, and no real work to do.

We were all so scared that we'd be cut next we'd crawl all over each other trying to find some way to make ourselves useful. Morale was in the toilet but we had to fake it. My boss had worked there for over 10 years and had about $80,000 invested. He lost it all. I had only been there for about 2 years, and didn't lose much. . Our managers tried to save us, but they weren't even sure what was going on.There was round after round of layoffs. I eventually got hip and jumped ship.

I had gotten word about a new German gas and power trading company, RWE Americas Trading Inc, setting up shop in Houston. It was supposed to be a great opportunity. It lasted for another 2 years, and then they shut down. Decided they didn't want to trade in North America after all.We knew the fall of Enron was just the beginning of a domino effect that we'd see for years in the industry. Every energy company in the industry has been devastated by what happened with Enron. I’m now working for a French energy company. We’re all just happy to have jobs.

Kimberley blogs regularly at tequilasnotforme.blogspot.com

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