FLEXITIME no more.

When I was working in ABSCBN, one of the leading broadcasting companies in the Philippines, I didn’t experience having a “time card” for the company to monitor the time I come in and out of the office. It was because we normally work in broken time, longer hours or should I say, mostly, 24 hours. I was used to having an indefinite schedule. Aside from the schedule, the workload and lifestyle are extremely different from what I call the “usual” job. What I meant by usual is the job mostly in the corporate world in 8am to 5pm shift. Before, I used to think that the production or the media industry is for the crazy and brave people- people who are very spontaneous and adventurous. After working there for 2 years, I found out that it’s true. And I adulate those people who opt to work and become experts in that field.

Having all the perks like meeting and interviewing the most famous personality inside and outside the country (may it be actress, politician, author or singer), having special treatments from several places (restaurants, resorts, hotels and even in hospitals) and even from people like the person from the government or the traffic enforcer, the network became my “comfort zone.” I got used to the FLEXITIME and I loved it for a period of time. But due to several reasons, I decided to leave my comfort zone.

Leaving my comfort zone means leaving all the perks and the flexitime. Yesterday, after a long time, I rode a train (MRT) going home and I realized the hassle of riding it during “rush hour.”

at MRT Ayala Station

Aside from the fact that it’s getting hotter now in the Philippines because the summer is fast approaching, inside a jam-packed train feels like you’re being grilled. I started to think positively and creatively by observing about the movement of people upon entering the train then, I imagined that I was like water, flowing uncontrollably. Haha. It was fun during the first two stations, though I was hearing several complaints from an old lady (which was quite annoying), on the third station, I got suffocated and got too tired. I guess I got tired because of the old lady’s complaints because I don’t want to see old people experiencing tough moments and complaining how bad their situations are, and that made me realize that I have to work harder to have a good life, retire with a life that I’m dreaming of and possibly, help my parents to have a wonderful retirement. It’s not that I’m saying that riding a train is not a good thing what I’m saying is that we have a choice to live the good life that we all deserve, we just need to set a goal and work on it.

Flexitime no more, I know I have to live with the rush hour because this is where I want to be.