Something unusual happened today. I actually put on proper pants and a new shirt to go to work. Boss told me that we were meeting an important prospect and I needed to dress up. So, instead of the usual jeans and black t-shirt, it was pants, shirt and jacket.
I once dreamed of going to work like this all day
Having to “dress
up” was a surreal experience. I remember my student days when I actually
dreamed about working in a profession that needed me to the suited up. I was
quite specific in my ambitions back then. Wanted to be an assistant
vice-president at Citibank by the time I reached 30. Wanted to be married to a
Chinese General’s daughter (or at least someone who looked like Joan Chen in
the Last Emperor) and have a load of kids who would be fluent in Mandarin and
Cantonese (I communicate in both very badly and am Chinese illiterate) as well
as English.
Well, I achieved
part of my goal. I am now well over 30 and its very clear that I’m not about to
work in a bank or any high flying corporate job. If anything, I try to down
play things. Yes, I had a few glorious moments but these things are well in the
past. Sure, I haven’t achieved anything I am particularly proud of since 2014
when I joined office-land. My greatest achievement working in office land has
been to avoid doing violence to its residents and burning paper files, which
seem to be generated for the sake of it. When I go for client meetings, I make
it a point to let people know that the boss is the clever one, whilst I am
merely a carrier of boxes.
One might
ask why I’ve developed a preference for doing the muscle work and a paranoia of
having to do “clerk” work in my late forties. Part of the reason. I guess, is
simple. I’ve reached the age where I can accept certain things are not for me
and to be at ease with it. My priority is now peace of mind.
Sure, I
will probably need to work to the day I die and so I will need a job of sorts.
However, I don’t want things that will screw up my wellbeing and to stay
active. The doctors have made it clear that after nearly four-decades of too
much food, booze and exercise that daily exercise for the rest of my life is no
longer negotiable.
So, I volunteer
for the task that require me to do lots of walking and staying active because
non-exercise thermogenesis (NEAT) is one of the best ways to keep the heart
pumping. I avoid being in the office and doing paper work because I don’t need
the drama associated with them.
It’s not
that I don’t like dressing up. I will, especially when I still get invites to
diplomatic functions or attend court as part of my day job. There are certain
places that do need to be respected with your personal dressing. Don’t get me
wrong, I would love to fly first class or even private jet and stay in
presidential suites. However, that’s just a nice experience. The real joy is
spending time learning about a new place or simply being with loved ones.
I enjoy the
things money can buy but I don’t believe it’s essential to sell your soul to
someone else’s ideal. I don’t need to be a uniform to say that I work in a
certain job that gives me a certain status just like I proudly lost my degree
certificate because I don’t need a piece of paper to tell you I’m educated –
that should be clear from what little manners I have.
The future at
50 looks different from 20. At 50, you know that the future comes soon enough
and you got to prepare for it. I’m trying to be healthy because I’m going to
need to generate an income till the day I die, so I got to be healthy to do
that. I’m also going to need clarity and simplicity of expectation. There’s no
point killing yourself to impress people who wouldn’t bat an eyelid the moment
your coffin hits the crematorium.
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