Corporate madness

So there I was, punctual at my interview on the dot, for a position at a donut retailer. I was told to wait at the lobby extension, so I did, expecting that I would be called in within the next 30 minutes or so.

A full hour passes before the receptionist tells me that the interviewer was stuck at a meeting but he’d arrive soon.

Another 30 minutes passes. An army of frontliners of this donut retailer’s sister company passes by me to get to a seminar room. The excitement was palpable in their faces as they entered in full battle gear: company provided shirt, pants and cap, with a hairnet for the ladies.

People shuffle into the lobby. A meeting is held, a check signed. Smiles abound. But not on my lips. Strike 1!

My patience wearing thin, I SMS G and my mom: How unprofessional! I’ve been here for an hour and a half and I still haven’t been interviewed! The reply: Well, speaks f d company.

Finally I get called, along with the two others left in the lobby. The interviewer said that he was sorry for the delay, but he had to make an impromptu presentation to upper management just that day. Strike 2!

I was offered a job, but I sincerely think that I deserve more than the salary on the table, considering my work experience. Strike 3! You’re out!

---

My mom was right. The whole experience today spoke volumes about the company. Even without being employed, I learned that in this company,

1. punctuality isn’t valued, even by upper management.
2. upper management must have its way, even at the cost of ruining other people’s (not just their employees’) meticulously prepared schedules
3. experience doesn’t count for much, even for a potential officer of the company.

I don’t mean to blow my own horn, but I think I know what I am entitled to (which is far lower than what I dream of earning). With all things considered, this company simply has no guts to do the right thing, at least as far as punctuality, sensitivity and just remuneration are concerned.

Sucks to be you, Mr.

Graduation notes

The ceremony has been two days over.

Students no longer come to school.

End-of-year meetings dwindle.

My cubicle is now bereft of any work-related material, save for envelopes that bear the seal of the school.

My hand is now forced by fate. I must take the long and difficult look at myself, and assess. Reflect. Chart a new course. A new day comes. Seize it.

POS continues

The graduation practices started this morning, and as soon as the ball got rolling, even before things were explained, I was thrown back to that summer morning, so many years ago, when I myself stood on the eve of my own graduation.

There’s something in that occasion that pulls on heartstrings. It’s a testament to the world that one is worthy to be called an Atenean, a name more precious than any academic achievement. Without being overly romantic, the name is a distinction that one has the capability to change the world. Whether in business, law, medicine, social work or any other career, the Ignatian vision of contemplatives-in-action has been planted in this graduate.

Will they change the world? How will they? Have I?
Did the school make its mark? Did I?
Time will tell.

* * *

As I wound up my reminiscing and reflection, I found myself in another POS rite. My colleagues and I said our “goodbyes” to one another today. Without going into details, I never felt more appreciated and loved in my workplace than today. Teaching can really be a thankless job, but it’s in a time like this that I am reminded how much little gestures mean to people, how dedication to one’s job can inspire, how setting aside time for others is a redemptive work in the creative plan of God. I cannot help but be immensely grateful for the past 3 1/2 years I’ve spent with them: years where I found life, learning and love.

To the Religion Department, henceforth known as the CLE Department, thank you. Words cannot express how much loved I feel because of your friendship. I love you all.

Time to move on and continue changing the world.

Things fall into place.

It’s funny how one day everything seems to be chaotic, then the next, peaceful. The past few days, culminating in last night, was exactly like that.

As many know, I’m in the process of cleaning up my second home for the past three and a half years: my cubicle at work. Record sheets, students’ works, reports, memorabilia and what nots surfaced slowly as I sorted items I’d shred, throw away, pass on or keep. A colleague asked if I was going through POS (or “pain of separation”, for those not in-the-know). I had to admit to myself that yes, it was a painful separation, but one that had to happen sooner or later.

Many might not know this, but that school has been my second home for the last 20 years. Yes, my dear reader(s?), I practically grew up there. It’s time to explore the world outside.

So, I’ve made steps to do so.

education kills

"puwede na akong mamatay."

a colleague of mine uttered these words after she read a student's reflection entry. naturally, i became curious about all the hoopla, and so she let me read it.

the student talked about his on-going experience with socio-eco-ethics, a 4-unit course with 2 hours per week of tutoring public school kids. he narrated that he was one of the many seniors taking up this course who did not see the value in combining the church's social teachings with sociology and economics. for them, the course was just a requirement for graduation.

but then he went on. in theological parlance, he transcended his difficulty by trying to see the program for what it really was. in a nutshell, he saw that the program was a way to CHANGE THE WORLD. make no bones about it.

how do we do that? in a country beset by problems in graft and corruption, in a failing educational system, in building trust with the government, the best way, according to fr. james o'brien, sj was to educate.

not the rich and powerful, but the poor and needy. only with education can they free themselves from the shackles of poverty, or at least have a chance at it.

on the flipside, the tutors are high school seniors who themselves are changed by the experience.

on hindsight, education kills. it kills the ignorant. it kills the fool. it kills the insensitive in all who pattern their lives on the ideals of education.

and all the student-writer said was, "Give it a chance."