Passing Thoughts

I have spent the last 14 years earning a living out of a job I never went to college for— a job I opted to take in spite of protestations by those dear to me and amidst the lure of viable opportunities abroad.

“You’re a nurse, why don’t you make productive use of your profession earning a handsome pay abroad?” many have asked. I didn’t have a standard reply. It would always depend on who posed the question.

I love writing messages, speeches and news releases, speaking to the public and being engaged in a work that matters to people and society. In other words, I am always inclined to do something that is short of politics but not politics at all. (I have long abandoned my childhood dream of becoming a politician like my grandfather who was a former mayor and my father who used to serve as a municipal councilor.)

I just want to be where I am going to be happy and where I find fulfillment—this was me, some 14 years ago.

Having spent nearly a decade and a half working from one government office to another (one donor-funded project and five or six major government bodies) has enabled me to handle career transitions quite well.

One good thing about having a passion and being able to specialize in an area of concentration is that you wont find it hard to land a job, instead, will easily allow you to move up to the career ladder.

But as to whether or not a sturdy career has been built over the years is a reality I have learned to come to terms with. I had been to an office that brought me to all corners of the world: from the Island of Mindanao to Manhattan Island in New York, and from the alps across the West to the desserts of the Middle East.

I have had the privilege of working in another office that gave me my break as a spokesperson and host of a nationally-aired state-run television program (which won a 2008 Anak TV Seal Award).

I have had the great opportunity to brush elbows with high profile government officials right in the most high profile office of the land–Malacanang.

I have worked and engaged with many people dealing with the most conflict affected-areas of Mindanao and advocated for support from a number of development organizations.

It was a career I couldn’t ask for more. More than anything else, it was a fulfillment of a dream.

But just like any other government career founded on co-terminous nature of appointment, mine has always been subject to change of leadership and administration, oftentimes a price one has to pay for working in a high profile office.

As it was, my relatively young career has spanned across four administrations: from Ramos to Estrada, to Arroyo and Aquino, kind of illustrating a feat of rising from the ranks, though in various key offices attached to the Office of the President.

Each time there’s a change of administration, I always find myself dealing with the reality of having to go through transition. Some had asked why didn’t I take CESO way before. Well, my career, or I thought so, was founded on absolute commitment to perform and deliver, against the backdrop of lack of security of tenure.

And here comes transition time again. I couldn’t tell for sure what my next moves would be. I am fortunate to have quite a number of options, either keeping at step with my passion for government work, or moving on to something economically fulfilling job outside government.

Through the years, since I decided to choose government work over a financially-rewarding nursing career abroad, my job entailed seemingly endless crossroads.

However, this time around, it’s no longer just about building a sturdy and fulfilling career—but securing a better future not just for me, but for my family.

My career has been an unending transition– and I have decided no longer to keep it that way.

Some people dread the thought of turning a year older especially when there is not much to reckon with in life, in terms of noteworthy feats. In contrast, there are those who look forward to turning a leaf of triumphs, yet to another page of success.

Looking back at life is invariably viewed with a standard gauge: how far have we gone in terms of success, and how far do we think could we go further?

When I was young, I was awed by stories about those who made their million at age 25 or had been to as many as more than 10 countries when they reached 30. I kept savoring the thought that many have proven something out of their lives by the time they turn 35.

But just how does one define success when he reaches a certain age in life? I often ask.

I am past 35, but still quite far from counting a million in my account. I’m in my prime but I deem the future looks far from being clearly certain on account of challenges that lie ahead. I may have been to as many as more than 10 countries but after all those travels, I realized the only thing that matters is an album of photos and some good memories. Once you’re back home, you’re also back to reality.

At 36, what do I have? Well I say, I may not have the most in life, but I have much of what’s best in life: God who never fails, a loving wife and an adorable son, a supportive family, and good health. I have a work that pays enough to cover for my bills, plus a little bit of savings for the rainy days. In the midst of this all, I have a multitude of friends who can define what friendship really means.

I know I should have already done something more than I did, have acquired more than what I had, have been to places beyond those I’ve been to, and be someone more than who I am today.

But those, to me, are not the true measure of success.

I am happy at 36, truly happy with my family and reasonably fulfilled at being able to work on something that matters to society. But then again, many things can happen when I become 40 or 50 and so on.

In the end, life is a matter of choice and not purely by natural circumstances. We all have a shot at destiny and how we do it makes us what we become.

This is me, at 36.