Passion Saves the Day

Had a blast with my old Summit friends last night, when I threw a despedida before I leave on Monday. It was just an inuman--YES! and PEP style--with endless chatter about showbiz, weird co-workers, and sex tips thrown into the mix. It was great to reconnect with them. Too bad I don’t have the pictures to prove it. Neri’s camera, Bumblebee, went bonkers and corrupted all the pictures we took. Sayang. Some of them were kinda salacious pa naman. Joke!

Even if I have been gone for 7 months, there’s still this great rapport between me and these kids. It’s a stark contrast to my relationship with my colleagues at my last job. I remember being uncomfortable with most of them, having realized early on that I wasn’t, and will not be, one of them. They were nice kids, sure, but they were totally different from the kind of people in the magazine industry, which makes them totally different from me. People from our world are naturally inclined to the arts: many are into literature, popular culture, technology, films, and music. We would talk about these things for hours on end, without anybody cutting in and asking, “Ano yon, ha?” Summit has so many cultured and smart people. And I’m not just talking about the bosses. Even the fresh grads in the rank and file positions are brilliant.

I don’t wanna sound like I’m criticizing my last office, but during my 6 months there, I really felt like a fish out of water. It was a tad too conservative for my personality. It was the only place where I got called out for what I was wearing. When I was covered up, I was still called out again. It was the only place I worked in where masses are held every day, twice a day. Save for churches, I have not seen so many religious icons in one place.It made me a little comfortable, me who has an unwavering belief in the separation of church and state, and that any particular religion should not be practiced in the workplace.

It was also the only place where I consciously censored myself. Bawdy jokes, almost a way of life in my previous jobs, where a no-no. I hated getting stuck in my chair for hours, which sometimes made my days there extremely long, even if they were far shorter than the 10.5 hours a day I had to log on during my magazine work. Corporate work just wasn’t me.

And I could tell that it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere that suited even the old timers. I haven’t met anybody who truly loved their job, somebody who can say she enjoys it. I’ve met so many who couldn’t wait to retire, because they absolutely hated what they were doing. Many of them are there for their kids, for their families. It’s admirable, but it’s also a sad way to live.

If there is one thing I learned about my last job, it’s that I am not the type who will work just for the sake of working. I also need a stimulating environment, where I can thrive amid challenges. I also need to be surrounded by people whom I love and respect, and whom I can learn a lot from. It’s hard to be simply motivated by money. There’s more to working than that.