TURNING A NEW PAGE IN LIFE

We had a farewell party for a co-worker last Nov. 30, 2006...it was held at the employee lounge area where a group of employees from various departments gathered for the "Despidida" Party the person leaving was the HR officer so basically he was quite a good natured and popular guy...anyway I was ask to give a little speech but I hardly know the guy except that he was one i would have treated as a protegee but he never finish his training with me because he has decided to leave...having said that I have tried to look for the reasons why he left when in fact there was no actual pressure by itself except that he was away from his wife and children from Monday to Friday and he was home during saturdays and sundays then back to the daily grind every week...it must be hard to be see-sawing from work and home but he has been doing this for 3 years so maybe he just reach his point of clarity...he probably wants to go out and further his own needs...or he just wants to turn a new page in his life...the same way that I did last april when I quit a job that has been dragging me down due to unscrupulous people who just want to ease me out because I was a perceive threat to their own ambitions...or because they just couldn't care much for people because as an HR guy...people's dignity and rights are foremost with my advocacy and that's not one of their priorities...so back to the party...I was compelled not to spoil the festivities by being so serious and melodramatic about the whole things because i had no choice if I were to say one speech..."How would you compress the three years this guy has spent with these people...with his co-workers...with his hopes and dreams for the company and it goals"...I guess there's nothing one could say that's tantamount to expressing the shared experiences with your co-employees and his hopes and dreams...so I decided not to say any speech but rather said I am only going to say four words and they all blurted out what four words? I said "Eat All You Can"...let all have a good dinner and savor the last few moments we will be sharing tonight and leave the reminiscing for later on...The whole group sang a song "Hawak Kamay" which literally means holding hands while i played the guitar...the song basically means "When you go through life's trials and difficulties...I will be there to hold hands with you to get you through those hard times"...after the song...The person whose leaving was being celebrated was ask to say something...this time he had no choice but to be melodramatic and thank everyone for their support and frienships...his voice was really cranky and was breaking up a little bit because his emotions was getting the best of him but he was able to finish his speech and we had a sumptuous dinner after that...and said our goodbyes...I guess I'm no better when it comes to leaving a friend...a co-worker...a workplace where you have spent a fraction or a part of your life with...as a footnote I've been in and around more or less 10 companies that I have worked for and ...my memories of long lost friends...co-employees...will always be treasured in my hearts because no matter what ...they were a part of your working life...after having been in this business for more than twenty years...farewells and goodbyes will always be uncomfortable and wracked with ambivalent feelings but the positive note of these is that the person leaving will start a new life...a new company...a new set of friends and co-workers...a new page in his life which is hopefully for the best of things to come...and those that are left behind...like us will form a part of his past life which may have been instrumental in his development as a better person.....