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- Posted by Admin on March 23, 2010
For a while I’ve been reading and scanning trade periodicals for a good topic for my next article, with no real success. I thought I had a great topic that would generate a lot of interest, but upon rereading the source material determined it to be too biased – I’ll hold that topic in reserve, because I anticipate it will resurface with more objective studies underlying subsequent articles. This is difficult for me, because as my wife will tell anyone, I’ve never been accused of being without an opinion, and I’m chomping at the bit to comment on that particular subject (the study supported my underlying belief). However, I realize in this role I have an obligation to vet my sources adequately so as not to be accused of being a mouthpiece for any particular constituency.
In the absence of a good personal-lines topic, and having mentioned my wife in the previous paragraph, let me diverge from the usual subject matter of this blog to get a bit personal. I am writing this from my father’s apartment in an assisted living facility in Jacksonville, FL, where our family is converging for his 95th birthday. As I write this, he is sitting across from me working the second of his two daily crossword puzzles, one reason I suppose his mind is as alert as it is (Florida Times-Union and Wall Street Journal puzzles daily, with a neighbor giving him the NY Times weekend crossword weekly – not lightweight stuff).
My wife isn’t here with me because 3 weeks ago she had part of her left lung removed following the discovery that she, who has never touched a cigarette, has developed lung cancer. Fortunately, we found it early, yet it had already begun to metastasize, so she will have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment. She is a strong woman, and insisted I be with my father for this family gathering, and has other members of our family gathering at our place to care for her while I’m here.
On this website since November you have seen a link in tribute to John Macauley, who passed away on November 10. John was the father of Quadrant’s founder, Mike Macauley, who unabashedly refers to his late father as his hero, and often refers to him in discussions as a source of wisdom in his growing up. I could say the same.
Why do I mention this in a column that is targeted to those in the insurance business? Because as I am torn between
a) being with my wife as she recovers from her surgery, and as she stares at her upcoming battle with killing off any remaining cancer that remains in her body without knowing or caring what effect that battle will have on her; and
b) being with my father, brothers and sons to celebrate his 95 years of life and the fact that he’s still sharp as a tack and hasn’t lost his sense of humor,
I realize the amount of time over my career I’ve relegated my family to the back bench to achieve personal or company objectives. Have I been a good employee? Yes. Has some sacrifice been necessary? Absolutely – life is all about striking appropriate balances. Is some sacrifice necessary in most businesses and careers? Definitely, especially for those who care and who are responsible. Do we often enough step back and sort out our priorities to make sure we aren’t making too much sacrifice of those who mean the most to us? Doubtful.
Please excuse my reflection, but I’ve been in environments where extensive sacrifice was expected, and I’ve been in situations where I brought it upon myself. In the heat of the battle it’s unlikely that you can just drop what you are doing and walk away, nor should you in most circumstances. However, you also shouldn’t lose sight of what is important in your life. After all, when all is said and done, what is the ultimate reason you are working in the first place?
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