Time Capsule

When i was in secondary school, I had a habit of stuffing keepsakes into a solid light blue box i bought at an S&J gift shop branch. It's been sitting in a huge cardboard packing box ever since we moved into our small bungalow. I dug it up today and opened it to look at the content. And i found this:

This was the last thing i put into my "time capsule". My work tag. From my first proper job ever. I worked in a medical-utilities production facility as a clerk, months after SPM. I reported to a lovely lady, whom i knew as Cindy and typed out, created and checked forms on a spreadsheet software. I've also had to scan pictures of packages and pictures of products and update the factory's database. People in there raise forms for everything: to suggest a rule, to change something, to put something in motion, etc.. So you can almost conjure up an imagery of the vast volumes of documentations one needed to complete in a day. Fun. Haha.

As an attempt to resume all manner of seriousness, I learnt a lot at my first job, actually. I gained experience, i learned to be orderly, i was afraid to be idle, and i earned my own money! All those great things helped me build up my confidence and self-esteem. A LOT. However, life being a bowl of cherries, you're bound to stumble across some bad ones. So amidst the fresh and sweet, I also learnt to be wary of the bad cherries. Friendships, for one. I grew distrustful of certain colleagues. It didn't help that they ransacked my things once, in attempt to find my salary letter from the Human Resource Department (this i find quite amusing to this day). I felt like i was in a literal soap theatre. The drama in the office was a little too overbearing.

I didn't have many like-minded friends there, i was the only person who was still in her teens in that department. Seventeen plus, to be exact. I turned eighteen whilst working there. I would have lunch all on my own, gobble up my food in 10 to 15 minutes and then return to my cubicle. I'd leave my bag in the drawer and lock it, then (and this part i looked forward to everyday) i'd take a long, nice walk around and about the facility. It really was huge. So everyday, I'd explore and discover some new part of the place, figure out a shortcut and head back to office. The walks really did me good. I remember now. *smiles*

So though this may come as no surprise to you, I'll admit it anyway. I resented my job a lot. I didn't know any better. I was young and felt in my spirit that i wasn't meant for a life in the cubicle, with stacks and stacks of documents in my inbox for company! I still believe that, come to think of it!

Nevertheless, I didn't know I had a choice to be happy in whatever i do. I didn't fully realize then, that when i said, "in EVERYTHING i do, i should do as unto the Lord", it meant just that. I didn't realize it covered my school activites, my job, my family life. EVERYTHING spiritual and seemingly UNspiritual. I hang my head in shame now just thinking about it, but I know i've grown some since then - and i'm still growing! *chuckles*

I remember being so glad on my last day. Silly me. But i do know that somewhere deep in, i did realize that i was much more better off and stronger character-wise because of the same job i had resented, the same job i had believed was the most horrible experience a girl could ever get, the same job i saw as an unfortunate circumstance ever to befall the likes of mankind.

Lord, you really know how to turn things around. *grateful grin*