For one thing, my boss then was respectable beyond any doubt. In fact, in the almost two years that I’ve been part of his staff, I’ve never had any reason to doubt him or his credibility. To this date, he is still the one I look up to, the one I aspire to be someday (not to be a man, of course, but to attain what he has). I think I can fairly say that he is the embodiment of fairness and justice. Of course, it is the very requisite for the job. But you would be surprised to know that others holding the same position as him do not necessarily enjoy the same qualifications.
In addition, I found that majority of his staff were likewise wonderful people. They were genuine — and that’s the best characteristic a person can have, as far as I’m concerned (and as far as I think). There were no petty squabbles or stupid cat fights, every issue was resolved using the light of reason.
By far, I think there is no other job or, perhaps, workplace that can quite compare to that one. Well, I suppose we only get lucky once. I had to move on.
In so far as my present occupation/workplace is concerned, I think the phrase “not a bed of roses” would be applicable. It has been riddled with drama since I started, I suppose. It’s got comedy, mystery, romance (or something similar), suspense and some action. Lately, it’s been turning into a CIA/James Bond story filled with agents and double agents. You turn around and you don’t really know who to trust.
If there’s one thing I really dislike in the office arena, it’s distrust – or the inability to know who to trust. It feels like you’re walking on eggshells or something similar. You always have to be careful around the people, whether with what to say or do. And you never know whether what they say to your face is the truth or just a version of what they think you want to hear. I, on the other hand, would always prefer to hear the truth. It doesn’t need to be brutally honest, just the plain truth, no salt nor sugar added.
An example:
Since December last year, the office has been looking for somebody to fill in a vacancy. I’ve recommended people I think are qualified (over qualified, in fact). But at the last minute or just when they’ve gotten the nod from the main boss, they decide they want something else. Who can blame them, really? The salary isn’t really something to die for.
So anyway, just when it seems there is no one else left, one staff member recommends a young guy who’s apparently in dire need of a job to help sustain his studies. I know the guy and, to be honest, he isn’t really on top of my “highly recommended” list. But his circumstances, i.e., willing to work hard to earn some dough to support his further aspirations, easily make him on the top of the other applicants. That is, of course, in addition to the fact that I know him and he knows me (i.e., he’s had a healthy dose of fear of me, which makes him easier to handle). Plus, the staff member who recommended him gives him glowing commendations.
That was last December 2008, before I left for my Christmas vacation.
Surprise, surprise! When I returned to work after the holidays, the birds (well, actually, just one bird — the one who recommended the guy) were singing a new song.
Apparently, the young guy turned out to be a distant relative of somebody the bird strongly disliked. And for this reason, he was no longer highly commendable, as far as the bird is concerned. If that is not the height of injustice, then perhaps, what the bird did next would qualify.
The young guy frequently comes to the office for one reason or another. And everytime he’s there, it’s as if he and the bird are the best of friends, the latter wishing him good luck and telling him she hopes he’ll get the job. But everytime he goes away, she’s actually rooting for another. Hypocrisy — if it could only kill people, there would be a lot less of the population.
In fact, the reason why the young guy was not accepted by the main boss is due to the underhanded trick the bird did — just to make sure he doesn’t get it. The sole reason? Because he is related to some person the bird hates.
I get that in real life, there’s really no black and white. It’s not like a person is totally good or totally bad, as in the movies. You can’t categorize people as villain or hero. That would probably make life insufferable, or something. But I do hope the world is rid of hypocrites.
Sometimes, I think my life is boring. And then sometimes, I think there’s too much drama. At least, that’s how it feels like in the office.
