Respect earned.

When I was a student, I always told myself later when start working, I want to stay fit, I want to enjoy life as much as I can. I want to stay fit, healthy and in shape, I really want to enjoy life to the fullest.


Now, everyday I finish work at 7 or 8 the earliest, but I still force myself to drive 19km from Chukai to Kijal for gym session. 20 mins on threadmill and 15 on the bicycle. If I don't go to the gym, I will go play futsal or badminton. Yes, now I start to play badminton, I never play badminton seriously even I love watch badminton games in TV.


I am among the unlucky few to work everyday, no weekend. Sometimes even I don't go to the base during weekend (Friday or Saturday) I am still on-call, my boss can call me anytime and ask me to go to the base or offshore.


Today I woke up, I didn't want to go to the base early. I asked my colleague what is he doing now, he told me that he is in the base doing nuclear calibration with our boss, only two of them.


My boss is suffering back pain, he was hospitalized for a week during my 1st week in Kemaman because of that. That nuclear calibration involves lots of physical work, using force. My boss has his wife and newborn baby at home, but he still went to the base because not many is around.


The day before, Friday, I was working till 9 so my boss didn't want to ask me to work, I know he wanted to give me rest, called my friend instead of me. Many of my colleagues are offshore or take day off. I just cannot see them work with me enjoying weekend.


I admit, deep inside I do want to impress my boss. But today that was not really the case. Maybe 25% want to impress, but to be honest, 75% or more, I work because I respect him so much, I cannot see he left his family behind for work, for God's sake I don't have a wife and kids yet. I just couldn't.. And he is suffering back pain, slip-disc problem. He also went back at 9 on Friday. Remember, in Terengganu weekend is Friday-Saturday.


Then fastly I prepared myself to go to the base. My boss earned my respect. I was tired like hell, my body is still suffering from previous days hard work, Thursday I finished work at midnight, Friday at 9, I was thinking to rest today. But I just couldn't do that. If I don't know about his family and injury, I wouldn't feel like going.


With my previous company, it was also the same. My boss there is 30-year-old, married man, but still so dedicated to work. Started work at 7 in the morning, only go back to hotel at 9 the earliest. For me, to be honest, it is not about the boss goes back at 10 so I need to go back after 10, not just that. But it is because I feel guilty.


You may say what ever you want to say, but God and me know what am I feeling. Once my colleague told me that my boss at 1 time, need to roll his body on the floor to go to the toilet because he couldn't walk because of that injury. I found that out, I started to feel sorry to him even more than before, I cannot see that. I will do the most that I could for him.


Thank God, I am blessed with good mentors in both companies. They are excellent engineers..


So today I work till 6, so I had like a few more hours for weekend. That didn't stop me to drive 100km+ return trip to Kuantan, at least I did something for weekend. I don't wanna be a person who couldn't enjoy life because of work.


Lucky for me again, my colleagues are awesome. That is why I don't mind working with them, it is like hangout, but working.