I Pledge Allegiance
In my mom’s regular play list of stories of tell are the two times my dad got offered to work abroad and he declined both of them. One was an offer to teach in a university in Hawaii and the other was to work for the American TV network ABC-- and this was back during the time when there were only three big TV networks in the States.
My dad’s main reason for staying in the Philippines was his loyalty to his boss. His boss took a risk with his vision of a TV station and fully supported his dream. So, he felt it wouldn’t be right to leave his boss and the station just like that. When my dad started to get barraged by company intrigues, he decided to just resign to help his boss save face.
Even after my dad left the TV station, he set up another business that was related to broadcasting-- he became a blocktimer and brought in all those shows we grew up watching (e.g. Transformers, Voltron, Macross, Takeshi’s Castle, Twilight Zone, Moonlighting). Later on, he got to manage two other TV stations before he died.
He definitely never let go of that dream of being a TV broadcaster.
Cut-to: today
Brandie’s now based in Vietnam (actually he’s in Shanghai right now, shooting a TV commercial) and I’m in Kuala Lumpur receiving Jedi Training.
Brandie’s now working for his third ad agency. I’m still working for the same agency for the past seven years and 11 months (but who’s counting).
I’m sure dad would be proud of both of us.
I think, unwittingly, Brandie is a loyal to “The Brand called You” (as coined by Fast Company back in the 90s). He’s loyal to the work— wherever he will get the chance to do great work, that’s where he’ll go.
I, on the other hand, am ridiculously loyal to the companies I end up in. For five years, I stuck to my guns and insisted that Alamat Comics would make money and we’d be living our dreams. (Anyway… ) Time came, when I needed a real day-job and I ended up here in Harrison Communications. In the past years, I seen my Creative Director (the one who hired me) and my Executive Creative Director leave-- as well as the numerous creatives and accounts who’ve come and gone.
So, I’ve been doing a juggling act: trying to keep that comic book dream alive while trying to get that ad done because there’s another Job Order waiting (most times there are three JO’s waiting). I guess if we remain loyal to the things that we are passionate about, to the things that bring us closer to our dreams, then it’ll all work out in the end.
On my desktop are all these clocks, which helps me keep track of family and friends. As you can see they’re all over the place.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m standing at this one spot and the whole world is moving on. So maybe that’s why I’m here, to see things from a different point of view-- and learn the ways of the Force! (We’ll see.) At least I’ll get to see the different countries in the region.
I’ll be home in 81 days (but who’s counting).
“And the end of all exploring will be
to arrive where we started and know
the place for the first time.”
--T.S. Elliot
In my mom’s regular play list of stories of tell are the two times my dad got offered to work abroad and he declined both of them. One was an offer to teach in a university in Hawaii and the other was to work for the American TV network ABC-- and this was back during the time when there were only three big TV networks in the States.
My dad’s main reason for staying in the Philippines was his loyalty to his boss. His boss took a risk with his vision of a TV station and fully supported his dream. So, he felt it wouldn’t be right to leave his boss and the station just like that. When my dad started to get barraged by company intrigues, he decided to just resign to help his boss save face.
Even after my dad left the TV station, he set up another business that was related to broadcasting-- he became a blocktimer and brought in all those shows we grew up watching (e.g. Transformers, Voltron, Macross, Takeshi’s Castle, Twilight Zone, Moonlighting). Later on, he got to manage two other TV stations before he died.
He definitely never let go of that dream of being a TV broadcaster.
Cut-to: today
Brandie’s now based in Vietnam (actually he’s in Shanghai right now, shooting a TV commercial) and I’m in Kuala Lumpur receiving Jedi Training.
Brandie’s now working for his third ad agency. I’m still working for the same agency for the past seven years and 11 months (but who’s counting).
I’m sure dad would be proud of both of us.
I think, unwittingly, Brandie is a loyal to “The Brand called You” (as coined by Fast Company back in the 90s). He’s loyal to the work— wherever he will get the chance to do great work, that’s where he’ll go.
I, on the other hand, am ridiculously loyal to the companies I end up in. For five years, I stuck to my guns and insisted that Alamat Comics would make money and we’d be living our dreams. (Anyway… ) Time came, when I needed a real day-job and I ended up here in Harrison Communications. In the past years, I seen my Creative Director (the one who hired me) and my Executive Creative Director leave-- as well as the numerous creatives and accounts who’ve come and gone.
So, I’ve been doing a juggling act: trying to keep that comic book dream alive while trying to get that ad done because there’s another Job Order waiting (most times there are three JO’s waiting). I guess if we remain loyal to the things that we are passionate about, to the things that bring us closer to our dreams, then it’ll all work out in the end.
On my desktop are all these clocks, which helps me keep track of family and friends. As you can see they’re all over the place.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m standing at this one spot and the whole world is moving on. So maybe that’s why I’m here, to see things from a different point of view-- and learn the ways of the Force! (We’ll see.) At least I’ll get to see the different countries in the region.
I’ll be home in 81 days (but who’s counting).
“And the end of all exploring will be
to arrive where we started and know
the place for the first time.”
--T.S. Elliot
Comments
Hope to see more stories and art from you in the next couple of months! :)
--budj