First boss

Recounting what I learned from my first-ever boss...

Just before Christmas, we lost my first-ever boss, who taught me the value of grit, hard work, punctuality, and resilience in the real world. 

Our offices were not the typical four-cornered walls but cafes and food chains at malls where we bask to get free wifi as we indulge in food that he would gladly order for us free. He loved to work outdoors, which tested our navigation skills around the Metro. For him, there were no 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 working hours. Work for him was round-the-clock as long as it was not done. 

I wouldn’t say that I didn’t cry the whole time I worked for him because I did. I remember crying in front of my computer screen as he would demand tight deadlines for reports, which I hadn’t even finished yet, as he would add more to my plate. He was tough, OC, and crisp with his words that if you are a fragile soul, you’d break into pieces and give up. Well, fortunately, I didn’t. His training prepared me for the worst that was yet to come. 

Many told me he was a terror, the reason for the change of RA from time to time, but I found a good soul in him when he would share about how tough his younger years were. I would yearn for the time after work when I would sit in the backseat of his car so he could tell me more about his work and life experiences.

When I was young, I used to despise tough bosses, but as I got older, I realized the valuable lessons they had imparted to me. I will always remember Dr. Ponce as a techy old man who would never settle for less. All he wanted was the best, as he always did for the rest of us who worked for him.

He may be gone, but his work is a legacy that will continue.