14 Chapter 14: Focus = Success
The 3-month project ended in March of 2006 and I was selected, along with 5 others, to be shifted on a brand new project that may last for more than 5 years. I was so excited and I told my mom that I can now help at least, pay for our monthly electric bills. My life has changed dramatically from being a drug addict to a tax contributor. I can now enjoy life to the fullest. I have a somewhat stable job, a girlfriend, a family. After 2 yrs in that job, I bought a cool new motorcycle which I paid in installment basis for 3 yrs. I became the team leader on our group and I was really one of the guys the management are looking into. And a Team Manager position has been vacated and I was encouraged by my team to apply for that job. And I did.
When we arrived in our meeting, I was truly intimidated by the cars and titles our batchmates has. Francis approached me and asked what I am doing right now. He's an Operations Manager in one of the call centers in Makati and earning high 6 figures monthly. Most of the guys here were on the other table on the venue so we failed to talk and share some memories. I wanted to say I am still in a call center job but I will be just fooling myself. I just said I'm just a house daddy right now since we are still looking for a house maid to look after my kids. It's so hard to find someone these days, I said. I am looking at these guys right now and I am really ashamed of what happened to me.
Out of the 4 people who applied for the Team Manager post, 2 of us were hired after a month of deliberation. There were 3 panel interviews and 2 exams and I'm just so happy that I was selected. This is it, I said to myself, that eventhough I'm a college dropout and a former threat to the republic, I can now change everything. I did not tell everyone here that I have a very forgettable past, that I was once a druggie, that I once went to jail for shoplifting.
It was a tough first few months as a probationary Team Manager as I have to cover sometimes 2 shifts and so many deadlines to cope up. I am handling around 120 personnel on that project which is 24/7 and most of them are friends. I had to adjust being a friend and their manager and it is actually the hardest part. We know what the loopholes are in the company, strategies to do when we want not to work, and I have to give them some considerations. I have done it of course, when I was still a contractual employee. But this is my job now and I have to be firm in everything, even if I lose some of my close friends because of my work ethic.
Everything is going smoothly and perfectly when 2 months before my birthday my sister texted me that grandmom was gone. I haven't seen her for years now and I was deeply saddened by it. She was 73 yrs old and she was very instrumental for my musical journey. And to make matters worse, 9 days before my birthday, my dad also passed away. He was just 60 yrs old. He died of a sudden heart attack and maybe because of his current diabetes, his body can no longer handle his drinking and smoking problem. I went to Bulacan for both of their wakes and when my dad is being taken six feet under, my mom suddenly bursts and cried uncontrollably. We were all shocked and smiled too cause even after all these years, mom still loves dad. That's love.
