Crossing my fingers

Lately, I’ve been hanging out regularly with a couple of new friends who love coffee as much as I do. The irony of it is that we became closer after both have been transferred to other SMC businesses. We call ourselves the “Secret Council” since we share a lot of those when we are together. A night out with them can give you hiccups (not to mention gas) because of the hilarious moments we have when we’re together. I’m just glad I found new friends even after our work unit was trimmed down from 67 to 19, and after most, if not all of my closest friends in the office have either resigned or moved to other SMC businesses.

I’ve often boasted to many that I’ve stuck it out in SMC for four years (a record-breaker for me) because of the people I work with. I constantly hear people complain about the politics within the organization and had I been younger, my impulsive nature would jump on to the next available job elsewhere. Just to digress a bit, I got 3 job offers in a span of a week, all of which I turned down without batting an eyelash and this is probably why I am writing this blog; to document my feat! Haha!

I’ve talked to ex-SMC employees and while their new jobs pay higher, they still long for the unique culture of San Miguel. There are days when you are neck deep in deliverables, trying to beat the deadline while at the same time lacking the resources you need to get through. But there are also days when you can bask in the tranquility of day to day tasks that can wait on you while you spend a few minutes – sometimes exceeding 15 – at the upper mall (a.k.a. yo area).

I do experience the politics within, or witness the internal inequity, and I also feel anxious whenever some changes are implemented. But I’d like to say I found my home in SMC. Work has become more than just a way to get some dough every 15th or 30th. It has become a learning experience, an advocacy and a roller coaster ride rolled into one. Also, the familiar faces I see everyday from the time I enter the sliding doors make me feel comfortable.

More importantly, SMC is where I learned the most about myself and what I am capable of becoming. Thanks largely to the bosses I’ve had because they saw something in me that I myself cannot bring to acknowledge.

While I know that life doesn’t end after San Miguel and that there are greater opportunities outside, I still wish I can say for sure that this is where I will retire. So like everyone else in the organization, I just have to accept the fact that change is very much a part of the San Miguel culture. I just have to hope that when the next tide turns, I won’t be washed off to shore.