As I walked out of my apartment this morning, I was greeted
with pouring rain. Thankfully I was armed with my umbrella but the torrential
downpour and rivers forming in the street indicated that it wasn't going to be
sufficient. Many thoughts went through my head. My first instinct was to turn
around, go back upstairs, crawl into bed and wait for the rain to subside. I even put down my
bags and contemplated how I could achieve that fanciful idea. I then snapped out of it
and realized I am no longer in Africa. I would have to suck it up and face
the rain. My boss wouldn't really understand why I was late to work only due to
rain. All of a sudden a flash back of my work in Congo came flooding back in.
Due to the poor infrastructure and transportation system in Congo,
people don’t go to work during the rain or do anything for that matter. Schools
aren't in session. The market is empty. Life stops. It is just an understanding
that rain = no movement. At the time, it was quite frustrating. Those of us who
grew up in cultures and countries where you go to work regardless of the
weather, this African concept was hard to grasp. You put on your shoes, grab
your umbrella and face the rain. It is as simple as that. I must admit that I wasn't very gracious to my
African colleagues when it rained. My staff would show up several hours late
and it felt as though people used the rain as an excuse to get out of work.
One of my most embarrassing and regretful moments in Congo
took place as a result of the rain. Where I was working, my staff was notorious
for being late even on a good, sunny day. I was under a significant amount of
pressure with a lot of work to do. The two ladies reporting directly under me
were late one rainy morning. Out of complete frustration, I lashed out. I
questioned them why they weren't on time. I challenged the fact that it wasn't
raining that hard. I completely lost
my cool.
One lady was pregnant and told me that she was experiencing
morning sickness all the way to the office. I didn't even listen to her. Back
then, I blamed it on my mediocre French skills but now I think that I was
probably wrapped up in my tirade I didn't bother listening. The
other lady was late for some other reason that I can’t remember. Her
performance was low, she had a major attitude problem and I took this silly
incident as my opportunity to unleash my frustration. I upset her so greatly
that she came to me a few hours later and asked for the rest of the day off.
The following day, she told me that she wanted to resign. In the end she didn't
resign but I realized just how far I had gone with my reaction.
It is really interesting how life sometimes comes back full circle. This morning I grudgingly put on my shoes, grabbed my
umbrella and sucked it up. I stepped out of my apartment door into a massive
puddle. I resented the fact that I had to get the train instead of owning a car
that would keep me dry. No one took pity on me as a pedestrian – they flew
through the puddles splashing me and cut me off at the cross walk. All the
while one word ran through my head: “touché.”
I finally arrived at the office, wet. It took several hours
for my jeans and shoes to dry out. And while it was doing so, I frequently went
back and forth to this reflection. Unfortunately I can’t go back and change
that interaction where I completely lost it but now, two years later, I am all in
favor of the idea that we shouldn't come to work if it is raining.
