SNAKES and LADDERS

January 10th, 2008 by jeorav

"Kung Mang-aahas ka, galingan mo!" - Rossana Roces’ confrontational piece urging her daughter to lure a husband of another (MAging Sino Ka Man)

I am not fond of snakes. I dont fear them, yet i think they are gross. Their scales are hard and dry, and they feel like overacting callus rubbing your skin. Maybe the writers of the bible felt the same way when they describe ultimate and ancient evil as the serpent in the gardens of Eve. Snakes. Eww. Gross.

Qualities of serpents are also equated to the negative. MAybe, for reasons stated above, they are condemned from the beginning. Perhaps they are created to balance the existence of a meek lamb, or a unicorn. Pero kawawa talaga sila. Inaapi. Kinakawawa to the lowest level. Can we blame them? What if their purpose in this plane is to be the kontrabida? Atleast naranansan na nila gumapang sa lupa at kumain ng palaka ng walang lunukan. Eww. Gross.

But may worse pa pala. Ahas na nagreincarnate sa ugali ng tao. Nangaahas at nagpapaahas. Minsan yung inaaahas kawawa pero may enjoyment factor pa yun ng konti. Hmmm Siguro yung mga ahas-ahas na yan nakadepende din sa alignment of the stars and conjuration of the planets. Halimbawa, pag yung house of venus sa aquarian age sumabay sa first octave ng house of mars, malamang serpent galore. Okay, mahirap intindihin ang serpentine explanation of astrology, so ilagay natin sa common and practical application. Television for instance:

Inahas daw ng kabilang channel yung main star ng isang channel, at ito namang kabilang channel, nagpaahas na daw ng isang talent na galing din sa nilipatang channel. Inahas ni Angelica PAnganiban si John Lloyd kay Bea at kasalukuyang inaahas ni Rosanna si Christopher de Leon sa asawa nito sa soap na MAging Sino Ka Man. Sa PAtayin sa Sindak si Barbara, inahas ni Kris Aquino (at nagtagumpay sya dito) ni Albert Martinez kay Jodi Sta. Maria, kaya nga namatay at nagmumulto ito. Sa Marimar, inahas ni Renato kay Sergio si Angelika na inaahas naman ngayon si Sergio kay Marimar. Sa Zaido, may kalaban silang halimaw na ahas.at yung story plot ng kamandag… errr do i have to point out the obvious?

Puro ahas! Hagdan naman nga!

The corporate world is a peculiar environment. Movements of employees are common and exodus of workers are phenomenon without effort. Napagalitan ka boss mo, lipat. Pinagselosan ka ng anak ng tita ng asawa ng boss mo, lipat. Hindi ka pinagbigyan sa leave, lipat. In fact, common sa workplace yung makalipat ka ng ilang beses isang taon. Sa call center at business process outsourcing, common na yung lipatan at palitan ng employees. One stint of work is a stepping stone (paraphrased: ladder) towards individual fulfillment professionally.

Corporate ladders are just there. If you are rank-and-file, you will begin at a low level step. Then you have to do your best (or find connections or sleep with your boss if quality of work and performance do not suffice) to move upwards. There is such a thing called promotion! The higher you go, the broader the responsibility. The fatter your paycheck the greater the responsibility (or forced work depending on one’s appreciation). But the ladder remains.

I can cite people from different areas of expertise or field of work with humble beginnings and presently handling power and authority. They stepped higher and higher with sweat and blood and mestrual cramps inclusive of the appointment, promotion or confirmation of a higher responsibility. But what will happen to the ladder when one reached the highest step? NOTHING. The ladder remains, but the person on the ladder must go down. When there is no step available, you can etiher cling to the highest, but eventually step down.

Participating in the professional world is a peculiar experiance. It is a jungle out there, with ladders in between. Be careful of snakes, be careful of ladders. This year, ang sabi nga "Kung Mangaahas ka, galingan mo!" Who knows, it might open a step higher.