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Christmas at Work
December 5, 2005
It is December once again. It is the month of cold morning breeze, sparkling lights, carols in the air, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. So Johnny Mathis would say, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." And as for Andy Williams, "It's the most wonderful time of the year."
The holiday season is indeed the most wonderful time of the year wherever you celebrate it. During clerkship days, we had to spend it in the hospital. Good thing we were allowed to bring Budweiser then. And there was food everywhere. We had "lechon" at the obstetrics ward. The refrigerator at the operating room was filled with pastries. And they were grilling pork belly at the orthopedics department. That was how we celebrated the season. And we attended to patients at the same time. My duties at present still fall on the holidays, so I have gotten used to spending the season at work. I would rather be at work if I have nothing to do and if I cannot go home. It is better to be doing something during this special time of the year than doing nothing at all. However, during the Christmas season right after my medical school, I actually did nothing and it was not at all memorable. I was a bum and definitely not a Harvard bum as Joe Pesci in the movie With Honors. If I was one, I would not be worried.
At some point in their lives, some people have experienced being a bum. I was not spared and I admit it was difficult then to move on. It came with frustration. I did not know where to place myself in this world after being in school for quite some time. Maybe I have become too idealistic after taking up a BS course in a state university and medicine in another state university. It even crossed my mind that had I not proceeded to medicine proper, I would have already been in a stable job. Anyway, we make decisions in life. There is no turning back and we should face the consequences of our decisions. The best thing to do is move on.
It was my decision then to be a bum for a while during that time. But the dean reminded me that idleness is the workplace of the devil. I just remarked that I am taking a much-needed break. So I did. And I enjoyed it. But it was only at first. Everything became routine afterwards. I wake up at lunchtime, watch a noontime television show, go to the mall in the afternoon, have some beer with friends (and consultants) in the evening, then surf the net and play Diablo or Battle Realms till the wee hours of the morning. This routine went on for some time. Then I realized that the Christmas season was over. I was not able to celebrate it more meaningfully and another one was already approaching. "Time flies when you're having fun," as the song goes.
Life has something in store for each one of us. But most of the time we will never know it until the right time comes. I could continue being a bum a little longer but God would be asking me if I could do much better. Sometimes we wait for something big to happen in our lives but most of the time we just get disappointed. I could take a break forever but I won't be making the most out of life. I recalled what the dean told me so I said to myself that I should be keeping myself busy. I started attending all possible conventions and all possible medical missions. I read books by Michael Palmer like Extreme Measures and Critical Judgment to keep my interest in the medical field.
"I have to move on," I thought, "and I have to work on it." Once you have set a goal in mind, God guides you right away. That's exactly what God did to me. He helped me move on since I have decided to do so. Medical school was already over, so the next step I had to undertake was to look for a job. I had to provide for my basic needs in the first place. I accepted a job that gave me an allowance of P285 per day. It was not even called a salary. But from then on, opportunities kept coming and even until now. And I know, the whole time God was with me.
This year will be my fourth Christmas season in Manila since I moved here to work. During my first holiday season here, I was able to complete the "Simbang Gabi" for nine days. My work schedule at that time was from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM. I had the time to do it then. So we always had "puto bumbong" and "bibingka" in the mornings at work. Right now, I cannot do the early morning mass anymore because I go on duty for 24 hours or even 36 hours. But I could give it a try once again in celebration of the season and in thanksgiving of the blessings during the year.
So, I will be spending again this season at work. I will be celebrating it with people I have worked with for some time. I will spend it with a medical team, who has a high standard of medical service. And although we will be celebrating Christmas in the workplace, we will still attend to sick calls and in case of an emergency, we will be there to manage the situation.
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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!!!
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Views expressed on this column and any other by-lined articles on this site are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization or its members.
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