It’s strange but true. As the excitement of Christmas Day grows and peaks, our hearts overflow with joyous anticipation of life’s deepest meanings (for us christians). Still, there are those who look at the celebrations about them and instead feel alone in the world they inhabit.
I was watching television one late night, when one commercial got my attention. For me, it's paying tribute to call center agents, wherein I was once a part of that "toxic" human life!!! The commercial gracefully glides around surprising a son, a call center worker, when the whole family transports their Noche Buena table to the call center’s grounds so he could celebrate with them. In the 30-seconder-ads, there’s this tug at the heart as I see the young man working hard at night while the world outside the brightly lit call center lies in darkness. From floors above, he recognizes his beloved family laying out a table laden with traditional goodies for Noche Buena. Right on his office grounds! He is overjoyed and comes down lugging his own office chair to join them....
I almost got to tears when the commercial ended! I didn't even finished the late night news that I was watching...I suddenly went on my memory lane... remembering those Christmas Holidays where i was all alone, forcing to shut my eyes and go to sleep, acting deaf not to hear christmas carols....
Working on Xmas Eve was always a nightmare for me. Imagining the happy celebration of my family while I was stucked on my table with headsets on my ears talking to subscribers who calls on an unholy hour!! Whew!!! I still remember one christmas Season, wherein I had a night shift on xmas eve and my off fell on the christmas day itself, dec 25. My housemate Tina, had the chance to be with her family so she went home, and I was all alone in the house, so I stayed all day at the house and maybe it was the longest sleep I had in my entire life!!!
I now realized that money/success really cannot buy happiness... I remember during Christmas season, we really can feel the christmas spririt thru bonuses! (let's face the fact! employees are all expecting for bonuses...more and more and more bonuses!) There was a time wherein we received a big announcement from the management... it was a payday and together with the basic pay was a 3-month-equivalent bonus!!! Whew! that's a lot!!! Our salary then was enrolled into mobile banking so we can check right away our bank accounts thru our mobile phones, and i was astonished when i saw the amount that I would be getting!!! But the smile and joy faded in a snap of my fingers... I have no one to celebrate with... My friends/officemates rushed to the ATM machine inside our building and bought cakes for pasalubong for their families... while me, I went home sadder than my usual lonely day!
But now, I am with my family! I may not have all the luxuries that i used to have... I may not have the "shop-til-u-drop" moment... I may not have my "oh-so-corporate-look"... But I am happy and contented with what I have.
But working in a call-center-world was such a challenging experience. I am proud to say that I have at least penetrated the corporate world with flying colors.
I was watching television one late night, when one commercial got my attention. For me, it's paying tribute to call center agents, wherein I was once a part of that "toxic" human life!!! The commercial gracefully glides around surprising a son, a call center worker, when the whole family transports their Noche Buena table to the call center’s grounds so he could celebrate with them. In the 30-seconder-ads, there’s this tug at the heart as I see the young man working hard at night while the world outside the brightly lit call center lies in darkness. From floors above, he recognizes his beloved family laying out a table laden with traditional goodies for Noche Buena. Right on his office grounds! He is overjoyed and comes down lugging his own office chair to join them....
I almost got to tears when the commercial ended! I didn't even finished the late night news that I was watching...I suddenly went on my memory lane... remembering those Christmas Holidays where i was all alone, forcing to shut my eyes and go to sleep, acting deaf not to hear christmas carols....
Working on Xmas Eve was always a nightmare for me. Imagining the happy celebration of my family while I was stucked on my table with headsets on my ears talking to subscribers who calls on an unholy hour!! Whew!!! I still remember one christmas Season, wherein I had a night shift on xmas eve and my off fell on the christmas day itself, dec 25. My housemate Tina, had the chance to be with her family so she went home, and I was all alone in the house, so I stayed all day at the house and maybe it was the longest sleep I had in my entire life!!!
I now realized that money/success really cannot buy happiness... I remember during Christmas season, we really can feel the christmas spririt thru bonuses! (let's face the fact! employees are all expecting for bonuses...more and more and more bonuses!) There was a time wherein we received a big announcement from the management... it was a payday and together with the basic pay was a 3-month-equivalent bonus!!! Whew! that's a lot!!! Our salary then was enrolled into mobile banking so we can check right away our bank accounts thru our mobile phones, and i was astonished when i saw the amount that I would be getting!!! But the smile and joy faded in a snap of my fingers... I have no one to celebrate with... My friends/officemates rushed to the ATM machine inside our building and bought cakes for pasalubong for their families... while me, I went home sadder than my usual lonely day!
But now, I am with my family! I may not have all the luxuries that i used to have... I may not have the "shop-til-u-drop" moment... I may not have my "oh-so-corporate-look"... But I am happy and contented with what I have.
But working in a call-center-world was such a challenging experience. I am proud to say that I have at least penetrated the corporate world with flying colors.
