About Me

I have done a lot of things in my life and have also worked in many different jobs to make a living and to experience life. This blog is just some of my musings, sometimes funny, sometimes inspirational, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes simple but all the time, it's just me.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Change, will do you good



Sheryl Crow crows,
A change
(A change would do you good)
Would do you good
(A change would do you good)
I think a change
(A change would do you good)
Would do you good
(A change would do you good)


I am always a big proponent to change but then sometimes I am not. You see, generally, everything in our life is constantly changing.

But what remains the same?

My soul has remained the same while my life keeps changing.

My workplace especially seems to be very active in changing.

But the Crow crows, A change will do you good ... I am yet to see what good it has done.

Sometimes, constant change means you are unable to reap the rewards of the change that is already made.

Imagine if Apple came out with iPhone 3, 3GS, 4, 5 all on the same day or Windows came out with Windows NT, Windows 7, Windows Vista all on the same day.

Okay, maybe a little exaggeration, but imagine drastic changes without consistency, clarity and done through silence.

Hello darkness, my old friend; I've come to talk with you again.

There is absolute sound of silence in the upcoming major changes.

Just like last time, I am left to my own devices to determine that yes, there will be a major change and yes, my role as it is will not exists as it is.

Because a vision softly creeping; Left its seeds while I was sleeping.
And the vision that was planted in my brain, Still remains, Within the sound of silence.


So, will change do me good?

The last time it really did not and this time around there is hope as always because I feel I am better prepared, better guided, more grounded to be able to cope with these changes.

What has always been unfortunate about all these changes is how the management tend to treat employees like little kids and with gloves on.

I remember an article by an ex-colleague who has now left the company after the last change about silence.

He said many people brought up in big cities like Mumbai or Manila, the hardest thing to get used to in Europe was the silence.

Coming from Miri and KL and when I went to Rijswijk in Netherlands, I was also quite taken aback by the silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone.
'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp.
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light that split the night,
And touched the sound of silence.
And in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening,

People writing songs that voices never share.

In my relationship with my wife, there may be silence or gaps in the conversation sometimes but that is just a sign of maturity and understanding of each other.

But with my dad, it is altogether another level of silence.

You know sometimes, when I am in a restaurant and I see a whole family - father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, son, daughter - go through a meal without saying a word to one another. Not one word.

And no one dared, disturb the sound of silence
"Fools", said I, "You do not know. Silence like a cancer grows"


Life may not be long but it sure certainly seems sometimes especially around all the silence.

Silence is mostly scary. People hate silence. When you are at a doctors room, a bad prognosis will likely be made after a few seconds onf silent contemplation.

In a horror or suspense movie, silence usually precedes something scary.

And right now at work, I am witnessing too much silence. There is just a lack of overall information and seems anyone that know anything has been forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

It is so silent that some people have not even heard of another round of organizational changes coming up.

As another blogger once wrote, what people need in uncertainty is other people to talk to them. And this is not happening enough.

True there are many unanswered question and some things are still in early stages and not ready to be revealed yet but it is always good to just talk, even if it to just say, "Look guys, it's coming but not much can be revealed yet. We hope by this date or so, we will be able to share more." And then invite questions, let people ask questions and take note of people's concerns.

It is never easy, and everyone is busy, not just leaders. There is uncertainty. There are always many many excuses and as they say, an excuse is an excuse.

Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you.
But my words, like silent raindrops fell and echoed in the wells of silence.
And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning, in the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence.


Silence generally reflects badly on all of us.

Go pick up a phone or go see someone and talk to them.

Go say hello to a stranger and genuinely ask them how they are doing.

Go say something to someone. Less silence please.

Take care and be well.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's like, " Go explore! There's still more to be discovered! "

Just what I needed ^.^