Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Dodging the Bullet

Last Monday I spoke with my new boss. I wanted to find out if I am still in the good graces of the team. The answer was 'yes' so one could breath easy. I slept well that night, more than 7 hours according to my health app. I wore a fleece jacket over my shirt, fleece pajamas and socks, sleeping under a fleece blanket and comforter. For some reason, I did not feel hot despite my abundance of cover. The temperature did not seem to be any more colder than the previous day. I woke up early the next day, refreshed and ready for work.

The first day was really difficult for me after the weekend, with my mind spinning with thoughts of shame. I did not attend the Monday morning stand-up, instead, I went down to the canteen, bought apple juice and walked along the corridors and stair well waiting for the meeting to end before going back to my cubicle. It was a sad and pitiful sight as I wondered about my future. Meeting the boss before noon and clearing the air was a welcome relief. During lunch time, I went to the gym to swim, soak in the hot tub and steam room before heading back to work.

I wrote to my career counselor that day and still have not received her reply. My mind again started to go into overdrive, where I questioned my self, if I had a right to sending that email. Maybe I should just curl up into a ball and accept whatever fate befalls me. But I have a right to choose my future, perhaps moving to other domains for a different role instead of accepting what is given me. This is democracy after all and I need to explore other options in case my new role does not pan out as expected. But deep down I feel that the team has my back, and I could rely on them to keep me working.

Last night I enrolled into some courses; online training on programming so I can start building my skills again. Sad that I find myself in the same situation after more than a decade. I started this blog to write away my churning thoughts and fears while learning new skills like blogging. There was a reorganization also underway at that time in Singapore and my blog entries helped me keep my sanity. Many year later, I again find myself in the same stressful situation and I am much older, my age creeping up to me. This is the sad reality of capitalism with creative destruction making it's way for the new world to emerge.

  

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