The workWeek-enders

When the weekend nears, expect me to switch my writing mode to something a little less formal.
People who know me, er, know that although I have a serious demeanor, I am actually a disjointed group of humor bones. It's not like I'll be writing nonsense from now until Sunday. I just have to relax a bit.

I actually have a silent THIRD blog. Yes it is me. I must confess. I am a writer trapped in a financial planner's body. (Or is it the other way around?). So there are times that my creative juices need some releasing. And that third blog, is there for that specific reason. I can't do many jokes in a financial planning blog. I just find it inappropriate. If I were a columnist, maybe. Hey, that's a nifty vision! Maybe I'll one day be a columnist.

I have always been attracted to the sounds and groans of a keyboard being mashed by my fingers.

Well, uhm, no not really. I've always been a writer and I think on my tombstone, I shall put the words:

"Write here waiting for you honey"

If you read the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and you browse through the Business Section, I am a great fan of Mr. Bearbull and Conrado Banal. Whatever their reputation is, I really don't care. I'm more interested in the way they write. They have wit. They have humor. That is the kind of writer I want to be. Not some stiff blurbing out whatever jargon only the writer understands.

On a serious note, I recently went to Tutuban Centermall. It has been months since I last went there, although I live near the area. I seldom go to malls these days. After my previous life as an employee, I probably got used to not going to the malls. If you ask me, there's so much more to see in the countryside than going to oversized air-conditioned warehouses.

I previously worked as a field marketer and I was on field 90% of the month. So during my 4-year labor with the company, I probably stepped on the mall about what? 20, 30 times? You see, my work required I went to the provinces. As far north as Ilocos Norte and as far south as Camarines Sur.

I went to Davao once though. I don't recall anything because we went there strictly for business. Our flight in and out of the city was on the same day. I hope to pass by there again soon :)

On weekends, I only had time to sleep. My social life, kaput. It is only recently that I've began catching up again with my high school barkada. Even they weren't spared from a work such as mine. It's a good thing I'm still accepted as a friend hehe.

One of the most important things in life is TIME. Not the magazine, but the thing you probably take for granted the most (other than your spouse).

Ever since I stopped working, I realized all these time I spent working. What was I working for? Who was I toiling for? Is it worth all the stress when at the end of the workday, you go home to a family that has already gone to sleep waiting for you? Money is important, don't get me wrong, but in these modern age. Time flies. You have to weigh your priorities.

As I've learned, it is good to pour your heart (with all the blood) and soul (but not to the Devil), but probably for a good 2-3 years only. After that, try to lower your overly high standard of living and accept a pay cut and work at something that requires only 8 hours of REGULAR work time.

Another important note on time is traffic. The cost of traffic is something that the government has yet to fully comprehend. Traffic eats up much of your time. It is A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME. That is why I never go out (much) anymore. Imagine, if I want to go to Makati, I'd have to allot what? An hour? On a day with no traffic, you can go there in 30 minutes. If that 30 minutes were freed up, I could have done something more with my life!

So for this, I have made a resolution to go to the mall if absolutely necessary. I go to the neighborhood supermarket and buy all the things I want so that I don't have to go back again.

Life is what you make of it. That statement should be changed and made to say, Life is what you make of TIME.

Enjoy the weekend folks. However way you want it.

**** FROM THE CROSSFIRE ****
On Fridays (or 3:35AM on Saturday) I'll write some workWeek-enders. We need to relax and not live by all the stiffness of the corporate world or of business. We don't work so that we can pay for our hospital bills 15-20 years from now (I'm in my late 20s). We work so we can enjoy a life we want. Go ahead and indulge yourself. I don't believe in saving too much. Heck, long life is not achieved by merely taking vitamins or maintenance drugs everyday. Long life is achieved by living happily. Learn to find the things that make you happy and add some years back into your lives.

The financial planner's caveat: Just don't indulge more than you can pay for it.