Seven - Seven

Seven years and seven months ago, I was handed a task from the youngest colleague in our department as she shifted to a bigger task that our department head assigned to her.

I wouldn’t lie that the task is extremely monotonous and I only have to do it every Monday as the main doer of the task reports to work from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Even if the Saturday team found someone to help them and the main doer of the task is shifted back on weekdays, I still do the task because it has been the norm.

For seven years and seven months, I learned to like the task. As someone who thrives on routine tasks, it was one of the things that I somehow look forward to despite the unpredictable nature of my other tasks. It wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies on doing this task, there are times where I wanna cry because the companies decided to mass send reports into a particular day that I was assigned to do the task.

Imagine during those years, aside from dealing with what we called the seasonal tasks, I’ve also encountered the mandatory change of phone numbers and contingency plan in the midst of COVID where the number of reports would almost double or even triple.

I would sometimes pretend to cry or wail to the main person assigned to that task and then I would sometimes post it on stories (of course confidential info removed), she would just laugh about it as she knew the surge of reports on that particular season would either fall into her hands or into mine.

To be honest, it has been years already since my COO asked me to let go of the task and other tasks my department asked me of, I was the only one holding on… because I would always say people have a lot on their plate so it’s my way of helping the department as a form of a reliever… and this is one the task that I was holding on to.

As much as it sometimes takes a burden, I actually enjoyed doing it, especially a task that doesn’t require much thinking and would actually make you look productive.

Until the first Monday of December came, My COO and I had a very serious talk regarding my tasks in my department. If I wanted to help the company, I have to let go of the things that were holding me back… let go of the things and entrust to the people who would be better off doing it as you deal with more complicated tasks. Similar to that colleague of mine who handed the same task over to me seven years and seven months ago. Finally, I agreed to let go… knowing that it is for the betterment to let go of some things. I guess one can say that things don’t last forever and one should thrive in change… and if we don’t, we would be stuck and we are not only hindering ourselves to grow, but we are also hindering other people to grow or learn other things.

And so as the last working day of the year concludes, it is time to say my one last goodbye as I entrust the task to the next person who would take care of it… and this means I can now focus on what is ahead of me... particularly the tasks where I could help the company more.

So for seven years and seven months, I am saying my last goodbye to the tasks that despite its boredom and sometimes makes me go cray cray, I eventually learn to like and look forward to.

When the Tables are Turned

I remember 6 Christmases ago, I didn’t know what I wanted for Christmas as part of our company’s exchange gift. I felt disheartened the last time that same department hosted one. I mean I felt like whoever was my parent that year 2015 just put the items on a Robinson’s paper bag without at least putting a tape or wrap it or something. As a person who wants to wait for Christmas Eve before opening presents, I end up taking it out of the paper bag because what’s the point if the items were already exposed right?

So fast forward a bit to 2018, I knew that I wouldn’t be present at the party as I was going on a China Study tour. I know it sounds weird, but if there is an opportunity that would allow you to go there even at the age of 28 years old and at a cheaper rate (well my parents paid for the study tour), why not right?

I was like maybe I wanted to do something different. I believe in the saying that if it’s yours, it’s yours. With a surplus of my allowance for donation/tithes, what I did was to add additional money on top of the amount of exchange gift worth to someone where they will use those money to help someone they need to their liking. The catch? It has to be converted into goods and you give it to those in need. I mean if you just put the money into the bank account of any charitable institution, there’s no thrill, might as well I’ll be the one to do it right?

I really felt like it’s a good idea, but as much as you won’t like to spend much, the downside of this was it’s time consuming. Then you’ll have to factor in if they will be trustworthy enough. To cut the story short, the one who got it didn’t get pissed off or something. I think she had fun doing it. I mean she ends up giving food to street children. Mind you it’s not even leftovers alright.

So fast forward to yesterday, I joined FCCYA’s Christmas gift giving drive where we helped packed goods so we could give to the street children.

Well I’ve been doing that in the sense of getting some leftovers or about to be expired food and just drop it off to any people living in the streets whether they are asleep or awake. 😅

So here goes the actual gift giving where we are inside the car looking for street kids around Manila. At first it was tough looking for them, then because it’s Christmas season, a lot of people were also doing the same thing. So what our group did was we went to places where there are less crowds so we could properly give it to them without us being swarmed.

I mean as much as it’s only for kids, it’s disheartening that some adults were either lying or might be telling the truth that they have kids but weren't around or kids who claim that they have siblings but weren’t present.

In the end we were able to give all 120 packs of goodies to the children with me being swarmed by the kids in the last gift giving (as I was seated on the window side) 😅.

I don’t know if my parent in 2018 felt the same way I felt. Like although it’s tiring, you feel joy about giving to those who are in need.

I think that’s what I felt. Maybe it’s not bad if the opportunity allows you to do those things again right?