The Ely legacy

Just recently, rockstar icon Ely Buendia broke to the public that he and his co-band mates from the infamous Eraserheads aren't really friends at all in real life. That shocked some of their die-hard fans. Well, I could recall that the Eraserheads' jams were more on friendship and social issues. In fact, their songs were featured in a musical called "Huling El Bimbo" where the bond of three college students and a girl outside their university transcended into something deeper. If fans thought it was something new, it didn't really mean anything to me.

Working alongside the same people for months and years doesn't really guarantee friendship. You're lucky if you get to keep your colleagues as real friends. However, most of the time, they are just part of your extended network and your professional relations. Speaking from experience, I did not have any friends when I left the first job I was in. I was misunderstood because I worked too hard to get good stories even if I had to step on the boundaries of those who were older than me in terms of years.

I get that a lot of people do not like that part of me. It seems like they are threatened by a strong force that has just entered their workplace. And I'm sure a lot of you can relate that workmates aren't the best people to be with especially after work hours. There is too much tension inside the office that often strains the way we relate with other people. If we make everything as an issue related to friendship, then I don't think there would be any work done at all. The Eraserheads simply was a model for a successful band that relied on their love for the craft which is music.

How many of us stay in our current jobs because of the craft? If only we have all the means to rely on our passion; as if that would feed us and our families. Oftentimes, talented people are forced to take in whatever job they can find because of the need. I don't blame them for abandoning what they love the most because family and survival always come first. This is a problem that has not been addressed by administrations. There is an employment gap and drain because of the lack of opportunities despite accomplished academic records.

The story of Ely would tell us that your reputation at work and the friends that you make in it, does not define who you are. It is simply a phase in one's life that you have to overcome and move on when that job has done you well. Regardless of what we now know about the Eraserheads, we would still listen to their music as if they are the same band that we know from decades ago. I will still treasure that favorite song of mine, "Just a smile" since a smile can do so much in this world full of toxicity. Bet you can relate too.