Options

Today I received a call, when I was doing my laundry, from one of my old colleagues in my previous company, who calmly told me that she was fired, as the most loyal employee who stayed in her position for 2 years, longer than any other employees that the company ever had, of course, including me.

Getting fired is not a new story, we hear people getting jobs, leaving jobs all the time, actually according to an authoritive survey, younger generation, so called “the 80’s” tend to change their jobs once every other year. But what surprises me is that she, the best “money machine”, gets fired. My formal boss had to make a choice between her and another new girl, and sadly she was the sacrifice.

I always think that when comes with choice; there is never a strict principle separating black and white, it’s not a matter of who is right, who is wrong but rather a matter of who is more important. So surprisingly he gave up the “money machine” for some new girl who had barely made any money for the company.

As apposed to my discontentment for her, she sounded very calm, “We shouldn’t punish ourselves for other people’s stupidity” she said, and I totally agreed, but don’t think I can reach that ethic level. I couldn’t help but wonder: “If I were to be put into a choice for other people to make, would I be the sacrifice? How many times people have given me up for others? And how many times people have given up others for me?”

It is a silly move, to even get into those questions and put myself into that position. It’s silly to ask my boss: “If you had to make a choice between me and another manager, who would you choose?” It’s silly to ask Panda: “If now there were a younger and prettier woman liking you, would you leave me for her?” It’s silly to ask myself: “If I could go back, would I take the same road leading to where I am today?”

Although silly, I am still drowned into the puddle. As a silly woman with a wise brain, sometimes I throw away my logic and wisdom, actually, I do it very often. So I am going to seek answer from Panda, more accurately, to confirm the answer, because no matter how, the answer is going to be the same. The only difference is, sometimes it’s true, sometime it’s a lie, and it’s not up to the answer giver, but is up to the answer receiver, to interpret.

Or the smarter way is not to get yourself even close to the situation, never make yourself an option for others to choose. Leave a job before the job shuts the door, leave a man before the man leaves you, leave a city before the city locks you out.
Escapism.

Or even smarter way, is not to leave, but always strive to be the winner. We can’t avoid being one of the options for others to choose, but at least we can avoid being the sacrifice. Keep ourselves strong and independent. If we want to leave, leave early, if we don’t want to leave, then make sure we are the chosen one, and can stay.

What a great ambition, what a lofty idea!
But who can always win? Who has never failed?
So I guess in the end, after all those ups and downs, there is not much we can do but to calmly accept it, just like what my friend did.

Happiness is not generated from gaining more, but from caring less. That's all life is about.