PCCI and Me

(Wrote this essay for a workshop done for the Advocacy group of PCCI. I thought it would be nice to post it here. ^_^)

Me and the Profundity of my Work Life

I woke up early today. That is, earlier than the usual, to brave the impending mob at the MRT and not be late for work. It has been hell going to PCCI office since the start of the New Year. The construction of the train central terminal over at North Avenue has driven bus and cab-riding citizens to the MRT stations to avoid a paralyzed traffic.

Not a day passes without any drama at the station. I remember one time I got not only one but several “hair-slapping” from a lady who was too conscious (or too irritated) of her hair that she kept on flipping it back with her hand, smacking me on the face. Well, she got a good telling off from me.

MRT introduces me to different kinds of people every day. There’s the “deadma” people who feigns sleep whenever an old woman or a pregnant lady is standing near them so they would not be forced to offer their seats and the classic “manyak” type who loves the pushing and the congestion of fellow passengers as he could easily pass up taking advantage of the ladies as accidents. MRT has not spared my feet from deadly stilettos and my stilettos from being caught in platform gaps.

But despite all these, there’s no denying my love for MRT. It has not just made my life easier; it has already become part of my lifestyle.

This is the same case I have with PCCI. Its environment may not be perfect, glazed with not-so-good issues here and there, but it has found a cozy place in my heart and my life. There are times I am confronted with hair-slapping moments and I could not help but be swept by the intensity of the moment and give out a lashing. But the next day, anger leaves and the hilarity of the moment sets in. And you realize that the next time, you should never shout at the hair-slapper. Just push her off the platform onto the railwayJ.

Kidding aside, PCCI has given me the satisfaction I have been looking for in a job—I get to be creative and at the same time, do things that are beyond what I perceive I can do. Of course, the “deadma” and all the other sinister characters would not be gone, but I would not let them get the better of me. I would continue to work and live as I would continue to ride the MRT. For all it’s worth, both experiences have made me better and will continue to mold to a better person.

Such is the profundity of my relationship with the MRT and PCCI. J