Life is a series of give and take and we are all constantly asking for something all the time. But what are we willing to give back in return? Witty as this was, it had actually come from a snippet of a lengthy discussion between two government employees (judging from their uniforms with IDs to boot) who were talking loudly inside the public vehicle I was in. As the accidental victim in a back-and-forth volley of retorts, there I was, the unwilling but amused “Maritess” in the banter that aired before me. (This usage is apt, as truly, they sounded like two characters throwing lines in the radio show the driver had ironically on speaker near my right ear, as if for soundtrack.) As if on cue, canned laughter could likewise be heard in that program. Lucky me.
If these two actors were indicative of the present row of things in both social media and real time, I’m sure you would know. There’s an ongoing political drama that has all but overtaken our penchant for anything Korean. And what these dignified ladies were passionately discussing about was just an adjunct of that drama, its after-effect on their office job security and salaries. As a third issue, one said all they hear about were complaints about the boss, but in the years the position was left vacant and the active critics were offered the job, they’d meekly refuse. But let’s just drop everything right there before we go further..
Going back to the earlier snippet of their conversation, I’m more interested to know how they would answered that, if they were asked it. If indeed, they were asked the same question
‘’In anything that we want, what are we willing to offer in return?”
Truth is, we’re always complaining about how dissatisfied we are with many things: road repairs, political maneuverings, fellow co-workers, government, even the type of rice we buy. No contentment and no end in sight since time immemorial. Thing is, many look at it as both a right and part of empowerment. However, when it comes to actively becoming part of the solution, only a few are willing to take the helm. As example, a friend whom I meet on occasion has always something to say about how policies in their office need changing. When I asked if he ever reports it, he says what for, I’m only a worker just like the rest. As it is, he says he’s just part of what he fondly calls as the disgruntled ‘majority’. No originality in that I had said then. Being dully-part of a common template.
And with that being the case, I told him I am reminded of a meme. Don’t be like tofu, absorbing all the flavors but having none of its own. Break free from your meekness and assume the role of Jalapeno!
