I had a strong urge to be petty after the termination. For example, after having been fired, I received a text message from my employer. The text message was requesting new work from me. New, unpaid work--after I had been dismissed! The ultimate irony: The request involved termination paperwork. I was being asked to unearth various forms so that I could assist in the expulsion of.....myself. Wise people say: Practice empathy. It's not easy to run a school right now. It's never easy, and it's certainly not easy right now. Also: A smart negotiator offers, and offers, and offers his services. He offers more than he takes. (This actually scores him long-term points.) Easy to forget, in this Trumpian era. So I was a model of civility. Judith Martin would have been proud. My husband--a congenital optimist--boldly predicted that unemployment paperwork would be "a piece of cake." They--nameless government agents--want "to make this easy, especially a...