Retiree's Confession

Tough and heavy exercise to take so far as we are nearing down the stretch of this free-writing challenge. But I think doing this experiment is like purging of toxins out from the body. Letting this extra baggage goes down the drain would give what any of us could not just easily  bargain for - psychological satisfaction far outweighing  the extra baggage that kept us trapped and imprisoned of the past.  Time to level up with the present or we would soon realize losing our grip of reality losing our way.  What you’ve got anyway as creative guy is natural experience as sunny day making us all  fall on that elusive but surely crazy trap.  I mean, doing those crazy things inadvertently as part of our journey towards fulfillment and liberation.  Not necessarily charactering those crazy artists like Vincent Van Gogh whose lust for life emboldened him into cutting his ear (hmm silly things indicating that the guy preoccupied with his masterpieces of Starry, starry night . . . might have really suffered starvation that taking a piece of his ear would  do him good never mind fleeting contentment!)

 Truth really liberates.  Hate to reveal this but we have really to do it for the benefit of all tax payers to give them benefits of doubt.  Or it could also be the system doing that favor for you.

 I’m fortunate, that I have reached this far – roughly twenty nine (29) in government service unscathed passing that threshold graceful exit leaving me all alone back to my old true self living another dream as a retiree or just maybe returning back the compliment of cultivating writing career not taken seriously in the past hoping to carve a niche in this rare writing profession. Why so fortunate? Well imagine all your contemporaries didn’t last that long in the government service. Burned-out, they would say that it seems they suffering identity crisis forced them to go out from government service. These guys have even been wondering why in the world I’ve been there and lately retired for good.

Well as I’ve been telling them – for as long as you have your identity of moral persuasion and integrity intact – I think you would survive! Without though knowing them how I hold dear  those  coping mechanism helping me get through. Some reality check as confessions will do.

First, the playing field is not the same between the Executive and Rank and File employees.  The higher level getting the better of salary, lion’s share actually far from the crumbs the lower ranks are receiving. Corollary to this, if you are an Executive or functioning at Supervisory level you would still wake up at the end of the day reeling questioning whatever happened to your pay slip that practically few amount are left what with all those deductions taken from the sky-high compounded annually GSIS, PAG-IBIG and SSS demandable receipt for housing loan, salary, emergency  loan and all that. Why crumbs are left after all those deductions were made is a reality any government employee has to reckoned with or you would have no decent living at all. Ask the teachers how much coins are they receiving from their regular salary as they fall victims to loan sharks because of their meager salary pay when they are molder of heroes of this land! Better for rank and file employees that they are receiving far better salary net because of fewer deductions as they might be living simple lifestyles. But this is reserve only for highly disciplined living on their tight budget. Obviously, this excludes the corruption that have gradually crept into the system further getting the worst of Juan de la Cruz as he succumbs to this malady or lost the add-on happiness brought about by  different diversion cum immoralities.

Second, the misconception of the government as milking-cow of  employees. Sad reality here specially given the scandal on PDAF, DAF, SARO involving high profile government officials.  That the President has been dipping his fingers on the issue influencing for instance senators through his pick-up Boy Mar Roxas reiterating his balato for the impeachment of CJ Corona tells it all.  This indeed need to be exorcised! But how given the dirty practice of politics in the country. In fact, this is almost a mission-impossible given how the system works especially on how Voting Machine that is PCOS did damage to electoral system securing the success of yellow candidates all the way down every time we have an election.

Third and this is really disturbing, one that blows your mind out falling into bits and pieces to the ground. How about the government's Welfare State concept in the guise of actually taking you in to its roll of service but short-changing you in the end through its very prohibitive compounded interest annually charged on its members who miss his monthly amortization that runs to very high figures any Juan de la Cruz could not just afford to obliged or met.  Add the highly abusive E-Vat on practically all commodities from gas to what you eat at Jollibee or Mc Donald and you have hellish life fit only to live for the rich, king, queen  and corrupt.

For the meantime, our national officials are treating us to a roller coaster ride of pledges that have not been meet even as promised as campaign pledge last election.  Who would not be nuts on this development? But thanks anyway that I reached this far and dishing out this confession for the readers to learn.  Who knows, political system this part of the globe would turn for the better next. Just who really knows?

(22^nd My 500 Words Daily Challenge)