Point of Return

I almost made it, realizing the dream of semi-retirement!
7 months of bliss, time was at my command.

I wish at least I made it a full year, but you know how Decembers go.
Aside from that month which makes me a year older,
the year-end big bills like LUMP SUM payments happen.
Ah, but it's forced savings to invest on a pre-sold property.

So, as if things fell into place, as finances dwindled,
by stroke of timing and opportunity, a job offer came about.

When I was in a panic mode, three offers came into life.
I almost set up an agency, but by fate, it didn't want to progress.
I just had to back out from it, unfortunately, at the last minute.

There was a 3x a week work schedule offer too, my terms.
It was an attempt from my side to have regular, predictable income,
yet still having two days a week of free time.

But that didn't happen, too.

There was also the promise of moving to a different field,
still advertising, but this time, brand planning.
Well, the wait was too long, I needed a regular salary again.

Until stars aligned, the skies brought about a new day,
unaware, a job by reason of need, from both ends,
the hiree and the one who was hiring materialized.

Seven months of idleness, and being busy, at my own time,
I will surely miss that.

I completed watching Cinemalaya entries, all competing flicks,
for the first time, and ended up being part of next year too,
as a screener. (Which means, I cannot join it, sigh.)

I made new friends too, from the Cinemalaya season.
That is priceless to me.

I did that sardines ad, direct to client deal.
It proved effective and their sales started showing
significant uptick in figures, yeah!

I was able to work for seven agencies, big and small, during the seven-month itch.
I was exposed to the different ways of working,
and met brilliant, and nice people.

I lasted, albeit sacrificing the desire to shop for new clothes or shoes.

Friends and acquaintances helped me, they just came,
and offered, and sustained me.

Afternoon coffee chats became a norm, a luxury of the earning part-time bum,
while everyone is in their office. The malls are much less congested
at this hour.

It gave me time to be healthier, too.
I upped the frequency of going to the gym.
I completed all the necessary dental procedures I have ignored,
which included three visits for a root canal, two fillings, total
teeth cleaning and scaling, and yes, an extraction!

I was able to attend an advanced scriptwriting workshop.
So, I was exposed to a genius named Lao.

I even got to write a script, not original, but
like a script doctor, revising what's wrong with an indie film,
although as indie goes, that one hasn't paid me yet!

Financial need at least didn't make me resort to
my pet peeve, writing an audio-visual presentation
or that text-heavy brochure!

Someone told me, when freelancing, don't accept anything below
5,000 pesos. Luckily, I never got a task which pays less than 25,000!

God is good, His timing is perfect.
Now that bigger needs come at the end of the year,
I will be employed, again.

It was a learning process, the missed offers, the rejected offers,
the offers that never came, and finally the deciding one.
It was hard to turn down some too, painful experience I
had to go through. One even deleted me from Facebook.
Sigh. But I have no regrets, nor do I resent it.
It's business, I guess. Nothing personal.

I will be a Creative Director once again, dropping the "E" before CD,
which doesn't matter to me. I like the account I'll be working on.
And my new boss seems to be fun and hardworking at the same time.

Now, the big adjustment I have, it's not doing what I've always been doing,
but how to get to Sesame Street. It's not within my usual perimeter
and geography of work. And December traffic is bad.
It's hard to get a cab.

Next step is to find an office mate who can bring me back to Makati,
in the bustle of Christmas month, in time for one necessity,
my gym training in the evening! Now I resent the fact
that I never learned to drive!

Health is wealth. That I can never give up.

So help me God in this newfound task.

Returning to the world that sustained me, I count my blessings.
Thanks to those who were ready to be of help
in my seven limbo months. I love you all.




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