Among all the things that Randy Pausch mentioned in The Last Lecture
, this one struck me the most. It is true that the younger generation is too focused on climbing the career ladder and tends to disregard what really matters.
When confronted by an intern (who was probably whining to him because he was asked to sort mail instead of doing “more important” tasks), Randy told him:
“You ought to be thrilled you got a job in the mailroom. And when you get there, here’s what you do: Be really great at sorting mail. And if you don’t, where is the proof that you can do anything? No job should be beneath us.”
I’ve always been obsessed with productivity. At 16, I started doing odd jobs – working for eight straight hours making french fries at McDonald’s, sweeping the floor, cleaning up after customers and sorting the paper cups and plastic bowls into the colored bins inside the trash room. At 17, I worked at a marketing office and inserted ads into envelopes for household distribution, earning 1 cent per finished envelope. Pizza Hut was my next stop, then I worked as a clerk in a postal office.
Then came the dream of becoming a lawyer. I think I took the John Grisham novels too much to heart. After years of butt torture, sitting in the law school library from dusk till dawn, I finally graduated. I was the very first Filipina who got a law degree in entire Austria. Right after graduation, I worked as a law associate in a prominent corporate law firm where we had secretaries take the calls, organize our files and make copies till I say stop. With my height of less than five feet, I felt huge, important and respected.
Fast forward to 2010, I am now a stay at home mom and a part-time library clerk. So what happened to the Grisham-like courtroom drama I desperately wanted to be part of? I’d say, I was “phoebenized”. After the birth of my daughter, Phoebe, my husband and I thought it might be better if I’d stay at home with her considering the horrendous child care expenses in New York and the horrible nanny stories you hear at every corner. After Phoebe turned two, I decided to look for a job to finance my graduate studies. One Sunday morning, while we were driving around the neighborhood, I saw a nice building that had this White-House-look – all white with large pillars and a beautiful lawn in front. I asked my husband to slow down so I can take a quick look. It was a public library. I stepped out of the car and went inside. I asked one of the clerks if they had any opening. Right there and then, I got an appointment with the director of the library. Two days after I walked in that library, I was given the job of a page. Yes, a page – probably the most important job in the library – putting away books and rearranging them in the shelves. I must admit, I almost felt pity for myself for giving up my comfortable office in the law firm – where I can show off my newly purchased suits and matching heels – to take on a job that only requires alphabet mastery for shelving purposes.
Then I thought of Randy. If I was given the job of shelving books then I thought I’d better be good at it. After two months of working as a page, I got a promotion and with that, of course, a much better pay. I still don’t have a corner office and I am not wearing crisp navy suits to work but there’s one thing I can boast of – I am actually good in practically anything I do. Why? Because I always put my heart into it. Job titles do not matter. They do not make or break a person. The life lesson that we gained through our experiences is what will be left with us – not the number of contracts that I drafted or transactions I closed. The humbling experience of accepting what has been offered to me is what I will be passing on to my children. After everything I’ve been through, I honestly cannot think of a job that could be beneath me – because I tried them all and every single one of them made me a better person.
Photo by: ClintJCL
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