Tradition
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” - Mark Twain
Those were the words best describe my earliest stint in an advertising agency as a full fledged creative person.
For 2 years I roughed it out in a small agency, and mind you, when you work for a small outfit, your job scope ain’t what it says on your call card. It’s more like ‘one-leg-kick kelefe’ or something. Our batch learnt things the hard way. And I mean hard. The turnover for most staff range from half a day, 1 week to few months. It ain’ty easy, I tell ya.
We went beyond our call of duty and then some. Sometimes it’s an appreciated effort, sometimes it’s not. We worked days and nights. Weekends are cancelled when there’s a tender for new business.
Nevertheless, the office was more like a home with a family than a work place. Politics was practically non-existent and people genuinely looked out for each other. We shared joy, laughter, tears, anger, tantrums, mood swings, gossips, sleepless nights, and most importantly, we had a bond. A bond that lasted even when our jobs didn’t.
People left.
Some returned.
Left again.
Only to return again.
Now, we are like a handful of quicksilver. We are everywhere and yet we are still together.
Every now and then we make it a point to meet up. It sounds easy, but believe me, it’s a b*tch to get everyone on an agreeable date, time and place. Usually emails will fly weeks before the actual gathering and power to the host (we take turns to organise) who go through great pains to try and please everyone. There’s the usual objections, banter and insults exhanged and for some reason I can’t fathom, emails are in Malay. I think it started during one of the late nights when us sleepyheads started cussing, kampung-style. Irrelevant, I know. Maybe it’s for the sake of so-called formality.
This has been our tradition for the past 8 years. We would meet up, fill our bellies, swap gossips and reminisce about the not-so-good old days, what we had to do to get ahead and how young people have it easy today. Heck, we sound like a bunch of old farts.
Hopefully, in this crazy world, this will continue to be a legacy before we croak and forget about ex-colleagues like everyone else does.
Good to have friends like that, and to keep it that way, we need to put in effort. lots of it.
Imagine planning and booking everyone's time one year earlier and came out with good plans and results of nuerous research on pricing for flights and hotels. Last minute cancelled.
If it's because of work, can understand. But reasons like, "have to accompany mother in law to the same destination two months later, so rather not go the same place twice a year.", is making my heart ache.
I think your friends are still ok.
Posted by
Address: |
2:48 PM
We oso got heartaches wan. But gud ting majority of the gang still up for it so our outings still jalan even if only 4 ppl turn up. :)
Posted by
Anonymous |
3:07 PM