Pissed with no two ways about it

I am supposed to be in Olongapo attending a very boring convention with some very boring people for some organization that I--unfortunately--am the president of.

This is sort of like the junior nepotism club, where the next leaders of the Philippine government will come from. Where the unconnected all deign to start and move on to bigger things as they grow up--like politics...And politics and even more politics.

This is where they will learn how to best hang on to a seat in office by employing every one of your relations so the organizational chart looks like your family tree.

If you have any political ambitions but are not directly connected to anyone who is already in power, this would be a great place to start.

I would have taken this wonderful opportunity to broaden my social horizon except a) I don't have any political ambitions and b) they're fucking boring.

It's highly unfortunate that it's the hardworking and genuinely altruistic people who are not going to make it past their noses and create a whiff of change mainly because they invoke zero enthusiasm.

It's the bored-but-charming people who knows the founding (funding) fathers of the senior organization that will continue to buck up in the world.

I've been to so many leadership seminars that you learn how to spot the winners, the losers, the apathetic and most of all: the wannabe's

And sad as it may seem, it's the charming ones that will eventually get there because they have charm, they have grace, they've made the connection, and they can afford to hire hardworking and genuinely altruistic people who never made it past their noses because they are boring instead of just bored.

I've met annoying people who are so charming and ebullient that you feel special just hating them. Of course, there are real gems of a person who is just so darned nice and perfect (they're rare and were born with the default setting of: achiever) and their place is secure on top, but most of those that do get to stand on top of the pyramids are the people who have good PR.

Then there are the perpetual seconds (that's me) who always seem to find themselves within the striking position but never really take because they are a) scared out of their wits to be top dog, b) too lazy to do the extra work to be top dog, c) don't think they deserve to be top dog (I am all of the above)

I don't really regard the boring-as-hell people losers, because even boring people do congregate (as evidenced by said conference) and heck, boring people have to hang out somewhere. They're social. And on the right day, you can even stay a day and actually find yourself entertained. But for statistical purposes let's refer to their generic term: losers.

My favorite, so far, are the wannabes.

It's important to know at least one wannabe in your life. Know why?

They're great for parties.

You have to be a debater--heck, a rebuttal speaker--to understand the beauty of having a dependable stock argument/story.

It's not surprising that good whips often find themselves the center of something--trouble, a party, a group, a human sandwhich--even if in a debate, they come at the very end. They have to be concise and amusing on command, so they often can't help but say something witty. Something that makes people either love them or hate them. But on your off days, you have to have one or two stock lines that will pad a mediocre performance.

A wannabe is a winning gold coin of a stock argument.

He's the guy running on a treadmill. He tries very hard to get somewhere, but never does. Something is lacking: charm, money, connection, with, good looks, the right amount of hubris...you can never really tell. It so vague that you might just want to say bad luck. The harder he tries, the more confusing things get. You can never figure out why he can't succeeed, except he never does.

And even though it's mean, people find that dog darn funny. He's so damn amusing that even the losers earn points for laughing at them.

Nice part is, they never really know. It's like the emperors new clothes, he's completely oblivious to the fact that people fucking hate his guts.

The org I am has an intresting mix of all four.

The winners stay for awhile before getting their names printed on the paper or move on to lead very busy lives in exchange for money.

The perpetual seconds swing by when they have to (coz they got caught and suckered into it) or mainly because they are bored and have nothing better to do at that time.

The losers stay.

And it's never really a surprise to know that the wannabe's are head honcho. This is the highest that they will ever get. They go nova before they hit the big show (thank God because they are predictably horrible)

Well dog darn, now i'm feeling happy that I didn't show up. Considering that the last time I attended this conference, I passed time between (okay, so also during) plenary sessions by making an empty box of Meiji chocolates talk.

Mostly, I am pissed that I have to pay full price for a trip that I didn't take. Anything that doesn't offer refunds--at least in my book--is a O&(*&@^@#^....sad thing.

But seeing that I now have two extra work days as well as a full nights sleep and a chance to escape a really bad party at the beach. And no travel fatigue too.