It was Sunday morning when I saw my high school friend on the bench of the park in our town. As I move forward to him, I heard the noise of the broom of a gardener as he was cleaning the orange leaves falling from the trees around the park.
I approach my friend saying "how are you"?
He replies "I'm fine. I enjoy the view watching someone playing tennis from afar"
I know he is a computer technician working in a small-time gadget store in a city far from our town. So I asked, "Are you on holiday off the same as me?"
He said "No, I do not have a job today. I got terminated last month"
I asked. "What happened?
My employer just replaced me because I committed a lot of absences for the last three months, he said.
Do you remember our Math teacher with glasses, don't you? he ask.
Yes, Is he still your coach in Chess? I answered.
He replied, Not just in Chess but also in life. I wish I listened to him.
I ask why.
Then he narrated the story to me:
Our teacher always taught us to study well and talk less. (I laughed from within because we were the noisiest class he ever had) he continued his story...
Even I worked already as a computer technician I saw him last time and reminded me the same to work hard, talk less, and focus on learning toward my job. So I did but I envy my fellow workers because they have a got a promotion in salary even I am senior from them and I knew more than they do. I know programming, hardware, coding, online promotions, accounting, and even up to closing the store but my salary grade is still the same.
Last May, I decided to go on vacation leave for a week and went to the beach. I intentionally put my phone off during my vacation because I don't want to be disturb. When I came back to work, the owner of the shop had a direct call on my phone saying that week was a storm on the store operations and all were not in place. They encountered problems with the transactions I usually handled.
The owner says that I should not be absent from my work even on Sundays and assigned me as the store manager with of course increase my pay.
I am happy that day because after all the years I have been working, the owner now recognized me. Now I am motivated to take leaves and go somewhere else for 2 days or three turning my phone off and undisturbed. It happened for the last five months and every time I go back to work, the owner of the store sent me presents and even extra cash or goods so long that I will not be absent next time. But Covid 19 pandemic is easing and bars and beaches are now open. So there were two absences that the owner of the store did not like. He just sent me a notice through my email and even a few messages on my phone that I cannot go back to the shop anymore.
I saw our math teacher last week and I told him the same story I am telling you now. He said "You know, no one pays attention to a light bulb that is always on. It will only get noticed when it goes off.
But if the bulb goes off frequently, sooner or later, it will get replaced."
I know he was right because, after years of working hard, it just took one week off for me to be promoted to store manager, and at a later time, I got terminated.
And that was the end of his story.
I just told to my friend that there is more opportunity ahead. Especially to a hard-working like him. I will chat with our other friends to have a few bottles of beer tonight, I added. Then I walked away heading home.
Thank you @zzan.admin for the opportunity to write
Regards,
@humbleearner