Retirement Aftermath

So today I got... promoted! It's been a long wait since October after going thru interview, waiting forever for results that always seems clueless. Getting a promotion is like waiting for all the stars to align themselves perfectly in a constellation. Timing and luck come into play. I am thankful I got it.

It - means my retirement title as well. Please don't look down at me but I am not as ambitious as people think I am. I am happy where I am at the current state. I really don't want to go into next level anymore. Enough is enough. Politics just get dirty as you move up. I'm ok to stay put, as long as they don't take my job away.

My happiness comes from unexpected people who cared enough to message me 'well-deserved'. (the most awkward thing would probably be everyone around you feels you just 'got lucky' for being the chosen one). From XX vendors in the townhall who told me verbally that in the past 3 years, no one cared for them like I did. Face it, I was a consultant/vendor before who gets dragged into weekend work regularly cracking my head to match the numbers. It takes one to know one.

I am becoming popular for organizing send-off parties. They say it is a thankless job. It is. Why do it? For the simple reason where I associate it as a 'corporate burial'. It's the last opportunity to thank the person for all the hard work he has done. Why be stingy about it. Several have told me I'm the 'best manager' around. It really warms my heart. I hope I don't disappoint.   

I didn't plan anything. Few years ago I got kicked out. I changed track unconsciously. I got relocated back. Everything seems to fall into place perfectly.

I am indeed an outlier and I have to admit I am stubborn. In travel, I feel 'it is the destination, not the journey'. I couldn't appreciate the beauty of getting lost and maneuvering through unfamiliar directions, party because I am not streetsmart and my memory is bad (I know my weakness of course). I just want to see Eiffel Tower. I just want to see Great Ocean Road. period. and I like the less hassle way. Unless I am going with someone special whom I would like to get 'lost' together with in this journey, then it's a different story.

But in this case, yes only in life's journey, I enjoyed the 'journey'. Journey of working with people. Journey of meeting very few people whom I have high respect. Journey of meeting people who mentors me sincerely. Journey of truly engaging, guiding and helping people. Journey of playing games too. Journey of touching lives.

I hate micro management and I never do it. I wake up everyday at 8am. Reaches office before 930am. Leaves office by 630-730pm. Life is cool, how else can I complaint. (I hope this stays for long, no shakings again pls) So yes as long as you don't track my time-in time-out, I also won't track yours, let's do it 'free and easy'.

I wish how smooth my career be, that would be the same as I would have in lovelife. Seems like jinx has been following me for some time already.  I think I also lost a good friend somewhere along the way. I don't like sharing guys, period.

I have enough friends to hang out with. I then realize the true friends who I bother to message for  both good and bad news can only be counted by the handful. Apart from my family which of course is a staple, I feel having a friend on the same tangent, same plane - that is not easy. I had an accident few years ago that scarred me for life, I never reached out to anyone. When people kicked me out, I also just kept quiet.  This time around for the promotion, deep inside I am really overwhelmed, however even in positive happy times, I am still keeping quiet (except for a few trusted folks). Guess that is just the way I am, low-profile. People will anyway find it out some other way in some other time. Please don't judge me. I admit I am weird.

Today would have been an almost perfect day except for life's daily nuisance. If people can stop reacting and stop bugging me and ruining 'my day' for petty things, life would have been a better place to live in.