All of a sudden a new fish little pond is on the front yard of the gigantic cubicle. In the middle of the grassy field with a row of trees on one side hampering in front of the twin towers were the spot where they put the pond. Through the glass wall of the pond you can see a number of Koi fish swimming. I am not a landscape designer but I dont really see the point why it should have been there. It reminds me of a small black pimple on someone's face. An unwanted object that people are trying to get rid of. I happened to be not the only person who hold this view.
Words travel fast. The little tiny pond became a topic of discussion. All the puzzles were then assembled and a big secret is revealed. A secret which is actually a public secret. A story that had been whispered from ears to ears. In front of our office there lies a statue of a man holding a bow with an arrow. Some people began to believe that the arrow was directed to our office and that was the reason for all the bad lucks that lately came upon my office. After consulting a shaman, that tiny little pond was built to shield my office from the arrow.
The shaman was another story. As many other offices, we hold a gathering once in a year. A couple of years a go, the gathering was suddenly scheduled not too long after the regular annual gathering. Amongst all the unspoken questions that boggled in our mind, we all went to the gathering. That gathering was a little bit different. Instead of having outdoor fun activities, we were all gathered in one huge hall. We sat down on the floor, and our director sat on a small stage with a stranger. The man was obviously honored by my director, for she listened and looked at him with such great respect.
My boss introduced the man as an expert in leadership development. He began to speak the language of wisdom and in the background soft calming tunes filled the air. He invited us to reflect on our past, think of all our sins and ask for God's forgiveness. The gentle voice at the beginning gradually turned into pressures. He wanted us to feel guilty and completely surrender and cry. Some who did not believe raised their heads and had to meet his sharp gaze. Most of the people in the hall were crying. Those who didn't bow their heads down and pretended to cry.
Later on I shared the experience with some friends. Apparently that was quite a common trend in my office. Most of the female leaders were all controlled by that same man who happened to be a shaman. In the past you can differentiate shaman from his attire, but today's shamans are dressed casually. You can't see the difference. Some share a story in which the shaman had been asked to select who were illegible for promotion. Another friend whose husband was seriously ill was asked by her boss to see the shaman. They even shared their private life with the shaman and he provided solutions to their personal life. The more stories they shared the more they become the slave to the shaman.
What a fenomena! Most of them are female in the top positions. Maybe the burden on the top is too heavy and Mr. Shaman arrives at the right time, a shoulder you can count on. They forget that there is always a price that you have to pay. It's probably not your money but it is definitely yourself, your freedom.
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