Against All Odds | Ran Takahashi

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Do you want to know what makes chance encounters so special?

It's when you least expect it, and yet, that one fateful event ends up leaving a lasting impact on your life. It's incredible how everything seems to happen for a reason, don't you think?

And it was this that ultimately led me to you.

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I sat in our weekly departmental meeting, my fingers dancing across the keyboard as I diligently took minutes on my laptop. The senior manager, Ms. Natividad, leaned towards me and delivered the news, "You have to return to the Ohio headquarters next week."

A nod of agreement escaped my lips as I replied in a monotonous tone, "Okay, Ma'am."

I am in our weekly departmental meeting, seated and taking minutes on my laptop. I work as a Marketing & Brand Manager in one of the world's largest multinational consumer goods companies.

Climbing the corporate ladder was no small feat for me. I had dedicated five long years to this company, ever since my graduation from that prestigious blue eagle university in Quezon City. I never let myself be consumed by grand ambitions. Instead, I focused on survival, toiling day in and day out. You see, I came from an impoverished background, with my father being a jeepney driver. He used to be the sole provider for our family until a stroke left his lower body paralyzed when I was still a sophomore in college.

Despite the challenges, I managed to graduate on time, juggling the responsibilities of caring for my father and working relentlessly to provide for our daily needs while pursuing my studies. My younger brother, a six-year gap between us, is still pursuing his college education. As for my elder sister, she had an early teenage pregnancy and found herself starting a family at 16.

My mother had left us for another man following the tragic loss of my two-year-younger brother to pneumonia. She couldn't bear her own depression, blaming my father for not being able to provide sufficient funds to save our beloved sibling.

Her abandonment still stung like an open wound. To put it bluntly, she was a coward.

I had fought relentlessly to secure full scholarships that would allow me to graduate with flying colors, to land a well-paying job, and to uplift my shattered family from poverty. I held the weight of our futures on my shoulders.

And I did everything in my power to survive this wretched life.

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After enduring nearly 28 grueling hours of travel, I finally arrived at Cleveland airport, a sight that has become all too familiar to me. Part of my job entails being dispatched to various countries for meetings, training sessions, seminars, and the like.

As I stepped off the airport, I was warmly greeted by a company driver who drove me to my hotel, where I would be calling home for the next two weeks.

The following day, I made my way to the highly-anticipated company meeting. This gathering was in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, set to take place a month from now. As the Marketing & Brand Manager, it was my responsibility to attend these meetings and oversee the coordination of activities, given that our company is one of the sponsors of this grand event. Representatives from all over the globe, representing various branches of our company, had been called to help in this remarkable event.

Little did I know, my stay overseas would not be as brief as expected and would stretch beyond just two weeks.

During the meeting, we delved into the nitty-gritty details of our plans. An executive took to the podium, addressing us all. "For the Paris Olympics," he began, "we will strategically distribute each team across different games in order to monitor brand campaigns, cultivate beneficial media partnerships, ensure the smooth provision of products and services to all participants, and maintain an active presence on our social media channels."