WORKSTATION DIARY SERIES - Coffee, Corruption, and Customers
A Tiring Day at Work
By: Ulysses C. Ybiernas | June 13, 2012
Work has been far from comfortable lately, with my mind caught in a web of distractions. The most pressing issue is the delay with a government agency, intentionally dragging its feet on processing my documents. The situation has stalled the construction of my house for nearly a month now, leaving my carpenters waiting, that makes them go hungry without money, because progress has ground to a halt.
When I approached the agency to ask if they could expedite the process, their response was disheartening: How much can you afford to speed it up? Corruption in the system feels so deeply ingrained, it’s almost suffocating. The bank won’t release the funds until the documents are processed, and the entire ordeal feels like a cruel waiting game.
Amidst all this, I try to keep my composure at work. The weight of these problems shouldn’t spill over into my dealings with customers. But even that’s been a challenge lately. My wife is home on vacation from her job abroad, and we’ve had a few petty misunderstandings. It’s nothing major, but it adds to the stress.
To make matters worse, I feel sluggish today. I rely heavily on coffee and a food supplement to maintain my energy throughout the day, but this morning I forgot both. Now, I’m dragging my feet, wondering if it’s physical exhaustion or just my mind playing tricks on me.
The day started slow, with only one customer in the first hour. But, as if on cue, a group of four clients just arrived at once, breaking the quiet. I’m alone at the counter now, with the empty teller station beside me amplifying the pressure.
Yesterday was Philippine Independence Day, a holiday. And like clockwork, the day after a holiday means a flood of customers eager to catch up on missed transactions. It’s going to be a long day, but I can only take it one moment at a time.
Let’s see how it goes.
"Corruption is like a cancer that eats away a citizen's faith in the governance. What else can I do when it is already ingrained at the core of the culture of this country? I hope someday, a strong man will rise up, and destroy this kind of evil in our society. Definitely, it's not me, who am I?"
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