Are You in the Right Job?

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Life is like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you gonna get” – Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)

When we’re kids we tend to see life in a very positive manner, always trying to fast forward time so we can be adults. I envied my brothers who are working and earning money. I kept on imagining what I can buy with “lots of money” but never did I wonder how hard it is to work. Now I’m an adult working and earning money and this time I know what and how it takes to earn a living.


Do I have a choice on what job would I be in? Can I choose who would be my “boss” or employer? Maybe I can, if life isn’t that hard back home in the Philippines. I was forced to leave my family and journeyed thousand miles to look for greener pasture and ended up here in Qatar. I can say that I got lucky to be hired just one week upon arrival here on a visit visa, not all who came here that have tried to find employment were as lucky as I am. “Lucky” I did mention but what luck means is different for every individual. What is trash for someone can be gold for another and vice versa.

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Working for my company for over two years now is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It is a blessing because in two years I am being able to provide a decent living for my family back home. They can now enjoy a bit of luxuries unlike when I was there working with a meagre salary. Oops! Salary I did say. What I meant was the money I earned driving a passenger jeepney wasn’t enough. Hmmm memories, memories. I still remember the first night I gone out with no experience in driving a passenger jeepney. Imagine yourself driving an improvised vehicle without all those automatic features of modern cars, not even a power steering feature with the bulky body to accommodate passengers. See yourself maneuvering, asking where passengers are going and computing change while looking for more passengers. No, that did not happen on my first night because I was too embarrassed to ask for passengers to ride, I just drove and when lucky someone will make a sign of him/her taking a ride. It was more of a test drive and I even ended up spending on diesel. Going back, a curse in a sense that I feel that I am not enjoying it even a bit.

I applied as a purchaser but was hired as a secretary and work as a sort of mechanical engineer as I dealt with equipment’s spare parts, making commissioning procedures and etc. etc. Worst thing is every time someone would go for a vacation like the document controller for example, I would cover for him and so on and so on. I became a “filler” which is so stressful, doing various jobs at the same time really tested my character and I always end up growing older at least two years in one month.

I drove a public transport not because it’s my choice but the thing is I have no choice (smile). I have a family to feed; pride is not of the matter when your kids are on the line. A degree holder holding a jeepney’s steering wheel for two years did not made me lesser of a man. Although sometimes when someone I know from school who regards me as one of his “case studies” provider can’t seem to believe that I am doing as such. I hate to admit it but my self-esteem during those times was at its lowest level but I am not saying being a driver by profession is degrading, definitely not! It was the high expectations on me by my family, friends and of course my in-laws. But then no regrets at least I was able to take care of my family without doing anything illegal. I am even contemplating of buying a jeepney when I retire and would make it the best public transport ever. So watch out folks.

Image via WikipediaIs it my choice to be in my current job now? No but again I have no option but to do the tasks that are being given to me for the sake of my family. Thus the famous quote above by Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you gonna get” but at least whatever flavour you’ve picked, take it, just try to appreciate it and make the best out of it. There are no certainties in life but we can always look forward to picking the right “chocolate” in time, one way or the other.