The lecturer we had for today over here in Cabanatuan was a former professor of mine in UST, a particularly chatty one who had a knack for digressing during precious hours of lecture time.  She’s nice and everything and I guess the (incredible) chattiness was just a way to offset the fact that she was teaching possibly the most boring subject ever: Nursing Leadership and Management.

Now, I’m sure that Leadership and Management has its perks and all, but to fresh graduates like us, there is no way in hell that we can relate.  Thank goodness I’m not a student reviewing for the board exams anymore; now I can get away with whipping out my Ipod and watching a movie in the back of the classroom, while the students have to go through hell just trying to stay awake.

I nod in on the lecture every so often just to make sure that the lecturer doesn’t need me for anything, and one time I overheard the professor say something about the Theory X and the Theory Y.  I forget who came up with this concept, but the idea is that there are basically two kinds of workers, the lazy, unmotivated one (Theory X) and the goal achievers (Theory Y).

It’s not that I agree with this concept entirely; I mean nothing’s ever that simple that you can categorize them into two neat little compartments, especially not people.  People have different moods at different times so I think that one might be a Theory X today and be a Theory Y tomorrow.  But that’s just me.

Anyway, for lunch we drove said lecturer back to the hotel.  It was slightly drizzling so I had to whip out my trusty umbrella and shield the professor from being wet until she got inside the vehicle.  And even though it’s not really in my nature to do such kind deeds for anyone, I can’t really complain, as it is part of my job description; I am nothing but an assistant in this side of the world, after all.

Later that day, my boss came up to me and said, with a smile on his face, “O, ‘di ba?  Magpapayong ka lang ng lecturer, may twelve thousand ka na.  ‘San ka makakakita ‘nun?” (“See?  You only put an umbrella over the lecturers’ heads and you get paid twelve grand!  Where else can you get such an offer?”) 

Now I’m pretty sure that he wasn’t being sarcastic in anyway (he’s just not the type to be sarcastic), so that meant that he was dead serious.  I can’t imagine saying something like that.  I know that I’d just die of boredom if I do easy tasks day after day after day.

I guess today was a Theory X type of day for him.  I mean, while I am glad that I am getting paid such a ridiculous amount of money for such ludicrously inane tasks, I do hope to strive for something better, you know. 

Huh.  I guess I do have more Theory Y days than I have Theory X days.