Maybe Better, Maybe Worse

Let me borrow my title from one of Nicholas Sparks' predictable lines in one of his novels. If one would ask how I do this time, I would reply with such conviction that yeah, I maybe better or maybe worse. I just had an interesting conversation with a prospective client. Interesting for me, you bet. But maybe she found herself a box of boredom in me for her to say "Or maybe I should talk directly with your training directors, blah, blah." She was a challenging customer. She opened my eyes into seeing what a lame Marketing Officer I was. While she was incessantly stating her predicament about the quote I submitted, I was holding the phone half-thinking I still have a lot to learn. Maybe God was calling me out of my cave again. I did not see myself caught in an embarrassing situation because I wasn't prepared for a rebuttal. I felt gratitude that hey, I actually have this opportunity to deal with. I was hesitant to cut her litany short, and I did not anyway. It was an enlightening moment to hear out what she has to say. And I guess she appreciated what I did in the end despite my attempts to immediately address her concerns. I was just being honest. I was just being myself. I am not sure if a room for empathy is welcome in the corporate world, but that's just exactly what I did. Be reasonable. Be honest. Admit your mistakes. Flinch when necessary. Wow, am i being elevated one step higher to maturity? And responsibility? If my boss was around, I could have been underrated. Who cares. I may have been better now, or worse. The thing is, I learned. Thanks, Eya!

Tamang Timing, Tamang Kulit

May piging sa ECCP pero hindi kasali ang EITSC. Bakit? Eh sa wala kaming kontribusyon eh. Pagkatapos nilang magpakasawa sa mga pagkaing inihanda, ang tuso kong Boss Dom ay namasyal sa kabila at kunwang nang-usisa. Bakit nga daw ba may handaan at hindi kasama ang EITSC? Pagbalik nya ng opis, dala na nya ang kasagutan sa tanong nya. Tatlong dambuhalang turon at manigas-nigas na vanilla ice cream. Pagmumuni-muni: Hindi kinakailangan ng perang pangkontribusyon para makakain ka ng turon at vanilla ice cream. Kelangan lang ng right timing at kadalasan, tibay ng loob. (Bakit ba hindi ko maderetsong sabihin ang 'kapal ng mukha'? Hehehe.)

* * * * *

Lagpas-hapunan na, pero nasa opis pa rin kami nila Boss Dom at Gng. Ga. Habang inihahabol nilang matapos ang kani-kanilang mga report, ako nama'y pindot ng pindot ng spacebar-backspace para matunugan nilang may nasasalin akong report sa laptop kahit wala. Ang totoo nyan, tapos na yung report ko kaya malaya akong nakakapagbrowse ng Friendster at Facebook (pati Delias). Inaantay ko lang talaga na i-shutdown ni Boss Dom ang laptop nya na sasabayan ko ng hit ng Send button sa email para hindi nya masabing di ko inemail ang report ko sa kanya. Pagmumuni-muni: Muli, right timing. Kapag sinabing within the day ang report, isubmit mo within the day. Counted pa rin ang 11:59 PM hangga't di inispecify ang time.

*****

Tumingin ako sa may bintana para icheck ang lagay ng kalsada. *&^%$#@! Alas syete y media na ng gabi pero bumper-to-bumper pa rin ang trapik. Syang balita ko kay Gng. Ga. Tinanong nya ako kung sasakay ba ako ng bus o tren. Ang aking sagot: "Kapag bus, bumper-to-bumper ang trapik. Kapag tren, butt-to-butt ang siksikan. Malamang hanggang alas nuebe na lang muna ako sa opis." Pagmumuni-muni: Right timing nga di ba? Kung umalis ako ng alas singko, mapapaaga uwi ko. Anong oras na?! Hello???

*****

Tumawag si Gng. Ga sa kanyang kabiyak, si Kuya Edwin. Pagkasagot ni Kuya Edwin sa kabilang linya, syang tanong ni Gng. Ga: "Saan ka uuwi?" Sabay tawa sya. Dahil imbes na itanong kung anong oras ang uwi ni Kuya Edwin, iba ang nabigkas nya. Pagmumuni-muni: Kailangan ko pa bang ulitin? Right timing. Kapag gumagawa ka ng report at bigla mo naisip tumawag sa bahay, maniwala ka, iba ang masasabi mo. Ganyan ang epekto ng paggawa ng Hanns Seidel report. Nakakabuwang.

*****

Have a good weekend!