I don’t know what it is about “02 May” that I keep coming back to pen down my thoughts on this day. Although. this time it took me 4 years to come back. I think it’s just how important this day has been for me, in terms of everything that I’ve been able to do in my professional life. It is rather unfair and, in a way, surprising that some other more important days, do not get the same attention. I really don’t have an answer to that.
Today I completed 19 years on the job. And nearly 17 of those years have been with Oracle. My last post here was 4 yrs back celebrating 15 yrs. And just like that, 4 more years have gone by. Somehow, I think these last 4 have been quite fulfilling. Not from a professional point of view, but from the different personal milestones that got ticked off.
I bought my first house in UAE in Sep 2020, and this was while we were still reeling from the aftermath of Covid. Apparently, that was a good time to buy. I did not know that then. 14 months later, I was able to sell the same property at a sweet premium, which in-turn helped me buy my dream house. After spending 3 months remodeling and furnishing (during peak Dubai summers!), we eventually moved in Aug 2022. It was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life. Waking up the next morning, and when it finally sunk in on what we had managed to accomplish, that’s when I knew this feeling was special. And I knew I was going to carry some part of that feeling with me for a long time to come. Even today, when I think of that morning (the day after), I still feel dazed.
In my opinion, buying a house is a financial decision. It’s all about calculations and until the numbers don’t start making sense, one should not make the mistake of jumping in prematurely. I remember spending hours, for many days, staring at my spreadsheets, trying out all the different possibilities, until your spreadsheet starts talking to you. And eventually, and if you are lucky, you arrive at a number that makes sense. And then you go ahead and buy something that’s 20% more than that!!!
Anyway, more than 2 years down the line, all I can say is that it was totally worth it. We had to do a bit more number crunching to make it work. Thankfully, a well timed promotion and a small raise, made it possible. This was in April 2022. What really stands out was the way it was disclosed. Although I knew something was cooking, and my management were working on my promotion, it abruptly came out during an internal All-Hands call attended by more than 300 people. Coincidentally, I was driving and had my family with me in the car. So they all got to know in real-time! It was special that I could share this with them!
All these beautiful and fulfilling moments in my life are rooted back to the same source. I have been blessed to have a job that I enjoy doing, and employed for a company that I am proud off, and with leaders that I admire working for. Going back 19 years, walking into the plush multi-national office in Bangalore as a 24 year old, I would never have imagined the path ahead. There has been a few very bad bumps on the way, some difficult moments I’d rather never talk about, but such is life. You get some, you loose some. As long as the ‘get’ is little more than the ‘loose’, it’s alright I guess. Honestly speaking, my current work isn’t exactly the greatest job ever. There is enough to fret about. But I like to see the big picture, and to see how things are shaping up, and if I am able to visualize beyond the immediate. And what I see is fine. I can live with that.
I am here because this is where I am meant to be. This was what is destined for me. And I will take this any day. But I haven’t stopped dreaming. And I haven’t stopped hoping. Hope is a good thing.
Logical Obscurity 