Cry! Just Not Out Loud.

Crying baby.  (Source: http://prettymomguide.com/coping-with-baby-crying.html)

Crying lady.  (Source:  http://nadnuts-shortstories.blogspot.com/2008/01/she-can-only-cry.html)

Crying man.  (Source:  http://healthylifecarenews.com/a-man-very-difficult-to-cry/)

"Don't cry out loud

    Just keep it inside

       Learn how to hide your feelings.

          Fly high and proud

             And if you should fall

                Remember you almost had it all."

During my early days in one of the companies I worked for some eons ago, I have learned to "cry" out stress and frustrations.  I worked as a project manager handling the implementation of several mission-critical computer systems in mostly local and a few foreign financial institutions.  My job entailed among other grueling responsibilities was dealing with clients.  It's a tough job!  But when I think about it, what isn't?

One angry client from a local defunct universal bank said to me on the phone: "Dudukdukin kita, eh!" (I'll shred you to pieces!).  I said, "I'll be right there and discuss with you the issue.".   I went to the conference room and cried for a bit.  Then I went to the bank's headquarters and showed her that the problem wasn't because of the program module recently ported by one of my subordinates.

Another suspecting client from another local defunct universal bank in an insulting tone said to me: "Yung nilagay myo yatang modification ang dahilan nitong problema!" (It looks like the modification your team ported caused this problem!).  I said, "I'll check it out.".  I went to the fire escape and cried for a bit.  Then proved to my client that the cause of the computer program aborting wasn't our modification but because of his erroneous configuration.

One client from a multinational bank boiling in anger shouted at me:  "Nagsisinungaling ka!" (You're lying to me!).  I said, "I'll check with the report submitted to me and get back to you.".  I went to the bathroom and cried for a bit.    Then showed to my client that the report I showed him earlier was accurate and that the report he got from his staff was outdated.

A third-party vendor of a client in Hong Kong jointly worked with us on a major payment gateway project.  The counterpart project manager with his fist pounding on a computer monitor threatened me: "I'll tell your boss about your team's incomptence!".  I said, "Please go ahead.".  I went downstairs to a Hello Kitty restaurant and cried for a bit (while eating a Hello Kitty waffle, LOL!).  Then I called up my boss and told him among others about the issue of the third-party vendor with my team members coming to the client's site super late because of overtime work.

The list goes on…  (but mind you, all of my projects were put into production on time and within budget!  Boasting much!...)

Life has its ups and downs.  These people who have wronged me all became friends of mine (except for the one in Hong Kong who I never had a chance to work with again).  Who would have thought?  I appeared tough and confident to my subordinates.  They actually never seen me cry.  Hence, they haven't got a clue to the tears I shed every time they make mistakes.  I thank them nonetheless because they all made me so much stronger and completely skillful in dealing with clients!  Nothing beats old-fashioned experience.

Crying helped a lot!  I probably could not have coped if I hadn't expressed out all of those negative emotions - anger, frustration, strange feeling of helplessness, and fear.  I have conquered them!  And I was successful!

Who knew that crying could be so healthy?  Cry for your health!  So, when was the last time you cried?