Goodbye to the old, hello to the new

I've been having dizzy spells lately. I suspect that they are from lack of sleep this past few weeks. Try as I might, I can't fall asleep before 11:30 PM. This might be still early for some, but for a person like me who gets up at 4 or 5AM...

Anyway, I am in my last few days at my current job. Next month, I'll be starting work at another bank. I am constantly in meetings, trying to finish up the projects that can be completed before I leave. Although I no longer work at a feverish pace, sometimes I feel as if I'm taking on too much for such little time. I'm trying, however, to not leave without tying up loose ends.

To my disappointment, I had an awful presentation for one of the projects that are due for implementation and which an officemate and I worked hard on. We drafted a procedure, tested it, performed improvements, retested and did everything short of turning the proposal upside down to ensure its workability. However, the person who was to approve everything twisted the whole presentation and made it appear it was, to make a long story short, worthless. Not only did this person belittle our efforts, she made an uncalled remark that the project was to be reassigned. Up to this morning I still feel resentment at what happened, and although my officemate and I have been trying to rectify the misunderstanding, my instinct to flee and forget about the whole bitter experience is overwhelming.

Now that I am calmer, I am in a way grateful for the experience. A friend pointed out that this may be an opportunity for me to try to win back my dignity and earn the respect of the person who caused me all the grief.

On a separate note, I turned on the TV this morning and found that a new pope has been elected. Cardinal Razinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, is to take on what John Paul II left behind. Per the biographer who wrote the cardinal's life story, this religious man is a 'conservative - conservative' and is against homosexuality, women priests, divorce, punk or rock music, etc. With all that has been said regarding reviving the sacredness of the church through a return to the basics, I feel that the papal electionists failed to consider that the changing times may require a man of the cloth that is liberal-minded. In a way, the John Paul II papacy addressed a few issues of the times with non-too conservative decisions [i.e., the stand on use of technology to promote Catholicism]. However, the perennial moral issues surrounding celibacy of priests, gay relationships and marriage, poverty, as well as women empowerment within the men-dominated Catholic Church remain unaddressed. But hey, the new Pope Benedict XVI still has his 'reign' to complete so we leave the evaluation for a later time.

Good luck to the new leader of a flock of one billion.