The Long And Winding Road
From Cubicle to Gray Hair: 44 Years of Work and Counting
It was 1980.
I was fresh out of school and desperate for work.
The winds of change were blowing, both at home and abroad.
- My own country was transitioning from a largely agricultural economy to a much-hyped industrialized one.
- Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Blondie & Pink Floyd were making waves on the Billboard charts.
- In politics, Egypt and Israel established diplomatic relations while Oscar Romero was assassinated in El Salvador.
- In broadcasting, CNN was launched as the first 24-hour news channel.
- Elsewhere, Tim Berners Lee began working on what would eventually become the World Wide Web some 10 years later.
- 66 countries boycotted the Moscow Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
And then, there was me.
Looking for a job. Looking for meaning.
A tiny spot in the vast galaxy of existentialism.
I had no formal qualifications except the equivalent of a high school diploma. The local labor office was equally helpless.
I was either overqualified or under-experienced for the jobs that were being advertised. I was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Sometime during that period, I landed a daily paid entry-level job at the power station near my home.
That was how 44 years ago this week, a motley crew of 20 of us reported for work at the friendly neighborhood oil-fired plant.
We were clueless about power generation. A few had prior work experience. I had none.
I spent the following 4 years there, initially despising the job, then grasping the basics, and finally, a spark ignited.
It became thrilling. Funny how a little education and some guidance can change things.
Generation to me meant the ability to create something. To be part of the process of turning all those tons of gooey fossil fuel into energy and electricity was invigorating.
The supply chain was no less interesting.
Every couple of months the oil tankers would moor at the nearby terminal discharging their cargo. That meant overtime. Hard cash.
We listened to the port traffic chats on the walkie-talkie as they were all on the same wavelengths.
Watched the fishing boats stealthily bring in women to the ships after the Customs had left.
Today that old plant stands no more. It was demolished some years ago for a spanking new modern combined cycle power station.
But memories of that old plant remain entrenched. I forged my first workplace friendships there. Some remain strong.
Others are alive only on social media. Most drifted away after being transferred out. A few are no longer around.
Ironically, it was also where the realities of being part of a larger social order first hit me.
Prejudices, racial and religious intolerance, urban vs. rural mindset, unjust promotions, etc. I had to grow up fast; take the blows with fortitude; and temper the pride and anger raging within.
There have been plenty of wake-up calls alright.
Home and school had been idealized environments.
I had experienced little of the biases I found commonplace at work.
Nonetheless, those lessons remained ingrained. I could always look at the bigger picture, the higher consciousness without being pulled into the muddy waters of daily working life.
Most of the time.
Then 1984 arrived.
But before that, a short distraction on wanting to change the world.
I got a promotion and a transfer out of my hometown.
That was perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I spent the next 20 years in small, quaint towns in the generation, distribution, and transmission of electricity including fieldwork, and office administration, before finally ending up in the control rooms of high-voltage transmission stations.
It has indeed been a long and winding road.
I never could have imagined what awaited me when I left home in 1984. The trials, the chances that arose, the new bonds formed, love found and lost, engaging in church and youth work, broadening my view of the world, and learning to value the little things.
None of this would have occurred had I remained in my hometown.
Yet, paradoxically, the more life changes, the more it seems to remain the same.
Practically every aspect of life has changed significantly over the past four decades.
Politically, economically, technologically, in faith and religion, personal relationships, and popular culture — every facet of life has been impacted by change.
Alphonse Karr expressed the idea that despite outward appearances of change or progress, certain fundamental aspects tend to endure over time.
44 years of work seem to confirm this observation, both positive and negative:
- As a worker, you are still underpaid, regardless of the position you hold.
- If you belong to a minority group, chances are you will be victimized or marginalized irrespective of where you live;
- The wealthy become wealthier, and the less fortunate poorer due to unfettered capitalism;
- Injustice rears its ugly head everywhere power is concentrated by one party;
- Whether you’re working for the man or yourself, you’re essentially on your own;
- On the positive side, we get new phones and computers all the time, but we still use them to talk to each other and do our work, just like we always have;
- Fashion styles might change over time, and certain trends often come back into fashion. The fact is that people still want to look good and express themselves through what they wear, just like they always have;
- The importance of having good friends and people we can trust remains the same;
- Many people are still fighting for truth and justice, even though the risks and challenges they face today may be as high as, or even higher than, they were 40 years ago
- People continue to desire peace, financial independence, happiness, and a sense of worth, regardless of their current life situation.
Final Thoughts
44 years after first starting work, I’m still trying to comprehend what work and life are all about.
I am still working now. Although it’s now on my own time and doing what I love to do — writing, plunging into the world of AI, health and wellness, and investing in cryptocurrencies.
Money is always important but it is not the most important thing.
Health, family, friends, purpose, love, belief, and experience all count for more.
Meaningful work should lead to a sense of fulfillment, reduced stress, increased motivation, better mental health, and a sense of purpose.
Which is why I happen to love what I am working on right now.
I’d like to leave you with Christian D. Larson’s poignant words that best encapsulate my thoughts and hopes for a fulfilling life that can be applied to your working life as well.
Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.
To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”
[Christian D. Larson]
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