27 Feb money or your life, job or your wife [& children]
On a recent trip to Strahan in Tasmania I took a sail along the Gordon River through Hell’s Gate.
It was here we learnt the history of the August 1907 shipwreck where the ship, ‘Kawatiri’ was lost.
As a result of Kawatiri striking the breakwater at Macquarie Heads the assistant lighthouse keeper, unable to leave his post, lost his wife and two small sons. With their cries and screams of help, as they drowned, being heard at the lighthouse.
How sad to have to choose between staying at your post or leaving to help save your wife and children.
One Sunday whilst camping I listened to the following conversation between a mum and a child:-
Child : “Mum can we stay a bit longer, I want to go and play on the rocks tomorrow at the beach with you”
Mum : “I am sorry but I am due back at work tomorrow.”
It got me thinking this is a modern day example of the choice we are still having to make today. Fortunately the wrong choice will not result in the death of your partner and children.
However we are still choosing between money or our life, or our job and our family time.
The message society is sending, and the norm is, both parents work full time and at 67 retire and enjoy the money.
During our two year gap year traveling around Australia with our children I met many retirees who said
“I wished we had done that with the kids but [insert reason here]
OR
“I wished we had spent more time with the kids].
Not one retiree said “I am glad I worked the long hours at my job and didn’t see my family”
What about if :
- we worked and saved;
- had children….took time off with the children, maybe a family gap year or two; and
- went back to work to earn if we wanted to.
How wonderful to have these choices and not having to choose:-
- Job or your Wife [& children]
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