How I Became Independent

This tale dates back to 2008. It was 8 October 2008. I was lying in bed in H.N. Hospital, getting ready to be operated for Syringomylea. The doctor had diagnosed it as being a disease, which was present since birth, but was detected only now. For me, it was a catastrophe. I was enjoying my golden period in my career, at this time. I had just secured a job with an MNC in the field of civil engineering. I was doing very well in my work. I was participating in meetings, attending conference calls and doing many more things. I was handling three projects simultaneously.

Alas, fate did not will that I enjoy my golden period. Therefore, it brought me this disease. I was incapacitated for a period of three months. The doctor told me that I would have to rest for three months after my operation. I was aghast. I could not afford this sabbatical. That too at a time when I was doing very well. I decided to rebel. However, my reporting authority in the job, took me to task. I was unceremoniously kicked out of the job. The reason given was that I had not performed as per the expectations of my bosses.

I resigned from the job, under coercion. Then I got admitted in H. N. Hospital, ready to get operated. I had to take a loan on the basis of my job to bear the cost of this operation. Therefore, I could not afford sitting at home for three months after the surgery. I decided to find a way out. After the surgery, when I was discharged from hospital in the third week of October, I decided to start working online, from home. I had discovered that I could do online content writing from home and I would not have to attend office, or face difficult bosses.

Therefore, I embarked on this new journey, not knowing where it would take me. I started by picking up gigs online from individuals who were connected to clients offering work. They would manage the client while I did the work. For that, they got a certain amount as coordination charges, while I was given a decent amount for my labor. Until I was working in civil engineering companies, I was very dependent on my bosses’ opinion about my caliber. However, after passing through the appraisal at the MNC, I was totally a changed man. I had decided to go independent the day, I got admitted to the hospital.

I wanted to show myself that I am not useless, as made out by my bosses. I was happy to get paid as a freelance content writer. I was also getting a lot of internal satisfaction, which I did not get in any of my civil engineering jobs. I was very happy to express myself on paper. I was happy to bring out my ideas on paper. I had become a writer in my own right. I had become independent. I had fulfilled my goal of cultivating another skill apart from civil engineering.