Poor man... rich man

What is it about the Filipino worker that sets him apart from his contemporaries abroad? In every corner of the globe, it is always comforting to see a friendly Filipino face, never failing to carry the warmest of smiles, amid the not-so-friendly European air. Whether it be in hospitals, schools, restaurants, factories, even horse barns overseas, the Filipino stands apart from the rest of the pack, managing a cheerful disposition and a tireless helping hand. This, despite toiling in distant lands, far away from home and loved ones.

Touring the European Showjumping Circuit may sound exciting and glamorous, but in reality, it is lonelier than it is fun. My only "saving grace" from the brink of desolation, other than being with my beloved horses, of course, is sharing the company of my ever-loyal Filipino groom (horse caretaker) "Turs." Turs, which is shorter even for "Turing," which is short for "Saturnino," has worked at our family farm in Batangas for the last 10 years. He has also taken care of my horses all over the world — at the Sydney Olympics, Asian Games and several countries around the European Showjumping Circuit. Wherever we go, Turs is always praised, not only for the great job he does with the horses, but also for the ready smile he wears around the stables each day, no matter how long the hours and how difficult the work may be. Once an American groom asked me if it was in fact true that Turs already has children? (He has two young kids, Crystal, 6 and Bryan, 2). She could not comprehend how a father of two kids, whom he hardly sees because he lives and works abroad, could be, well, so jolly? Never was there a day I heard Turs complain of too much work or exhaustion. He loved the horses just as much as I did — and it showed in their disposition and well being. Sadly for me, I think my horses loved him more than they loved me. Understandably so, since Turs fed, bathed, groomed and cared for them 24/7, all this with a gentle hand and a generous heart. He cares for every one of these beasts as a father would care for his child. It was not surprising that every stable we stayed in offered him a job, complete with housing that he may send his family over from the Philippines. There had been occasions when people offered Turs a job behind my back, hoping Turs would not tell me. A Belgian friend once recounted a serious conversation he had with Turs, when he asked him if he would consider leaving his job to work for a European stable, certainly for more money and greater opportunity. Politely, he said that he couldn’t because he loved his job, the horses and his boss. — Thank you! Turs! Hearing that made me happy, too. He’s been faced with many opportunities to earn substantially more, perhaps take his wife and kids with him to live in greener pastures, only a distant dream for many of our kababayans who long to be in the "land of milk and honey," yet he chooses not to, because he loves his job, even if it often takes him far away from his greatest treasure — his family.

Not many people are as lucky as Turs. He loves what he does for a living. He may not be able to afford the many luxuries some of us have in life, but he has more than the lawyer who worries and stresses at work everyday, more than the banker who dreads to awake in the morning only to face a machine all day, and more than a lot of people who count the hours and minutes till the end of each working day. I am not patronizing Turs, I am simply at awe at how someone who appears to have very minimal in this world, could truly be happy.

I have learned a lot from Turs and his simple ways. He does his job wherever it takes him and he does it with perfection. He finds fulfillment in knowing that he has done his work to the best of his abilities, no matter how menial it may seem. For him, no job is too small or meaningless. Not a day has passed in the last 10 years when he seemed disinterested or preoccupied with anything other than the job at hand, whether he be brushing the horses, mucking out the stalls, tending to the mares in the paddock, or preparing for a competition.

He is probably the only other person in this world who cares as much as I do about my horses and their welfare. Yes, it maybe his job, but unlike me, this is not his passion. It is only work, after all. Yet, I can see that his work is his life, not only because it puts food on the table, supports the education of his children, and sustains his family, for he can achieve all of the above with less effort on his part and/or more money on the side. Turs may be a poor man, but he is rich in life, for his humanity is fulfilled in his work.

Turs is living proof that everybody — rich man or poor man — can achieve happiness, not by acquiring material wealth, but by doing what you love, and if that’s not possible, then by loving what you do.