Discretionary Job

While ferrying in the taxis, cabs, buses and trains I generally chat with my fellow passengers, as I can’t sit idle and watch fellow passenger faces. Interacting with the fellow passenger gives me a better insight as to what they are, what they are with and what’s there lookout; and in case if I’m the lone passenger I never restrain myself in speaking to the driver even. I think that a person who is dealing with walking customer on a daily basis is the best informer for the ground realities in the city.

They have the first hand information about who’s what and have a better understanding of the type of cultural and behavioral difference prevailing within the city. If one is free enough and can spare time with Rick/taxi driver he can understand the entire city past, present and future in a day or two.

They are the people, who have been repeatedly measuring the same roads for years and they are witness to many happenings of the city. In one of my small journey I was chatting to a Rick driver, he told me that he is a post graduate and use to work in textile mill but post closure of the mill he pulled out his own Rick on to the roads and it has been years he was driving on the city road. He had two kids one being engineer in software firm and another one settled in US.

I congratulated him for the status quo of his kids and fired the next question in curiosity, as I wanted to know why he still drives the Rick, he could very well sit at home and enjoy his rest of life, to this his answer was that he can’t sit idle and he ferries passenger who are known to him as most of his customers are regular ones to whom he is a phone call away.

By this time he was like a open book infornt of me and was chatting to me as we are known to each others for years. He shared that he was way back to home for lunch and he is driving me to my destination as it was on his way to home, he candidly confessed that if it would have not been so he would have denied me.

He seemed to a satisfied man, who has scored his innings well and doesn’t carry much ambition and monetary expectations from the job he is pursuing. I felt jealous as I can’t have my job discretionary, I have to commit myself as I don’t have other choice to pursue, no matter what, I have to pull myself to the job.

I have heard a lot about "Job Satisfaction" but never felt satisfied, I’m a firm believer of an adage that “If there is a conflict between mind and soul the soul should win” but practically I'm not following it.

Image source: forteconsulting.wordpress.com