If only

The ducks seemed to be happy again this year and even added some new friends to their group. Looking through the wall of glass at his office, he wished he could join them. Just to relax in the grass, enjoying the sunshine and when refreshed, fly off to new adventures. If only…

He shook his head, turned around and sat down behind his desk again. As tempting some thoughts might be occasionally, he worked hard to be able to sit here today, in his corner office on the top floor of the building. His screen saver showed pictures of his family and he teared up a bit. Leaving his family at 5 am in the morning, not able to have breakfast together, because the other side of the world waited for his call, or having to skip family festivities at a regular base due to work related traveling, felt sometimes as a too big of a sacrifice. However, he still truly believed he could make a difference and this job was his way to contribute to creating a better world for everyone living upon it.

The real reason he lately looked at the feathered little friends more often: because of the increasing judgments from people all over the globe. Yes, he receives a large salary every month, has a car plus chauffeur, and he is indeed able to provide his family almost everything they wished. Almost…
His personal attendance they have to miss too often. Fortunately, his wife supported every career decision he had made in the past and he told his secretary to keep at least a day a month free to spend with one of his kids. Date nights with his wife mean the world to him.

Although he understood the complaints he read in the newspaper or heard standing in line at the check-in counter at airports all over the world, it made him feel like a failure. Especially when he couldn’t change colleagues’ minds, getting them to understand that the work they do, isn’t just about power and money, but also to help other people prosper.

Not able to focus again, he rolled his chair to the glass wall, looked down at the birds again and noticed some little furry ones following their mother. He smiled. Just like he got his colleagues to approve his idea of a garden with a large pond, he would eventually convince his peers to change the way they operate. His only wish; he wouldn’t have to feel he has to defend his choice of career to, well, to everyone it seems he has to nowadays.

If only…

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Note: ‘he’ could be replaced by ‘the politician’, ‘the banker’, ‘the businessman’, ‘the manager’…