Sunday, December 20, 2020

An Homage to My Rockstar Boss

He still uses his phone that he bought 3-4 years ago, because it is "still functional," his words, not mine. He wore an oversized sports jacket to one of his inauguration, with mismatched pair of pants. He doesn't seem to be acquainted with a hairbrush, and when he went to a mechanic to check his car up, they thought he's the driver.

But when he took the mic, the room fell silent. No no, not because they're fallen asleep, because they were listening to his every word.  Personally, I only knew one other person who commands a room like that. My college friend Gari (as much as I'd like to say Barrack Obama or Bill Clinton, alas I don't know them personally :D).

He speaks of the big picture, but still attentive to little details. Not to much because he doesn't dwell on small things.  He genuinely cares for people.  Like he listens to you when you talk, he lets you talk until you're done.  And when you're done, he pauses, like a chess player thinking of his next 5 moves, then he replies.

His words were always calculated, yet his stance was always casual.  I do regard him as the high and mighty.  I copied most of his work ethics, how he treated people in general, how he carried himself.  He is one of the people I would like to model my career after.

Sadly, when he was my boss, I was too young to understand that I was given a privilege to stand on a shoulder of a giant.  To learn his every move.  Instead I wasted it, because I was too consumed with rage over something not really that important anymore.

I wish I knew that I had the golden ticket to the greatest learning experience when I had it.

Now we are no longer working in the same division, though he is someone I always considered a mentor.  I have the greatest respect for him (in case you haven't noticed).  And professionally he will always be that role model I'm striving to be.

the ghost

 you came back

like 10 million different mistake knocking on my door

reminding me what kind a person i was

the one who tossed people aside


you came back

like a ghost of all past lives wrapped into one

a simple word without even a 'hi'

making me wonder, what is it this time


you came back

filling in my curiosities

letting me know you're still breathing

giving me prove that you're out there


you came back

like an unfinished story

demanding an ending

while i already know the epilogue


-201220-