Cousin Jeff

A few minutes earlier, I was drinking a bottle of Tanduay Ice and a half-consumed pack of Piattos. Now I'm drinking a bottle of cold water and eating a few pieces of rambutan. What happened in between is going to be history, but I'm writing it here to preserve the memory.

I was listening to my cousin (who I treat as my brother, long story) telling me about how tiring work becomes for him. He was promoted a bit sooner than expected, which means a lot of things: 

1. Having subordinates who are older than him;
2. Heavier load; and
3. Higher expectations.

And if this is not enough, he feels that he cannot do it. He was a bit down with the three bottles he had drunk in just a short span of time. I tell him how lucky he is about getting a job, though I know that he really is tired. But what can we do? I have embraced the fact that we are destined to work hard when we are still young, and whether we still get to work when we are old depends on the path we take during our younger years.

After a while, I remember one of my college best friends, who I think is equally burdened.

This is the world we live in.