We have two daughters, born fifteen months apart. They each live away from their parents and each other, although we all live in Kentucky. They love each other and their parents (most of the time), and both are entering their mature years (fifty-somethings). They have very nice families.
I have counseled both of them to begin thinking seriously about preparing financially for retirement now, especially given the current disarray in the old USA. And like good daughters everywhere, they always pay close attention to advice from their father (wink, wink, nudge).
On July 1, we received emails from both of them. Our older daughter had decided to quit her job in order to spend more time with her sons, two of whom soon will be graduating from high school and could use some help with the infamous NTI.
Our younger daughter, also with teen-age children, accepted a promotion to the position of district manager in her company, to test her skills and earn more money. One out of the work force, and another making a longer-term commitment to stay in it—and on the same day. It almost seems spooky.
Like everything else in the summer of 2020, I can’t help but put this in the context of the medical, political, and economic crises facing our country.
Living in Decisionville
Truth to tell, we are all living in Decisionville, which is the name of nearly every town in our sad and poorly led country. And we can’t avoid making decisions about the choices before us. I c grateful that my daughters are in situations in which they can choose to stop working, or accept a promotion that will require harder work.
Many Americans are not so lucky. They have been furloughed, laid-off, or fired—or are seeing the businesses they worked for close due to an economic crisis lengthened by our federal government’s mishandling of a medical crisis.
And, as I write this, the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening, infecting more people, ending more lives and shuttering more small businesses—while many of our national leaders sit six feet apart on their sanitized hands getting frequent tests scarcely available to the rest of us.
Some decisons we can make
Here are some decisions that we are faced with during the coming months.
- We could wear masks and slow the spread of COVID-19…. or not and let it spread.
- We could bombard our senators and representatives with emails, texts and phone calls insisting they create a real plan to attack the coronavirus and a to send sufficient money to the states to save lives and jobs…or not and prepare for Great Depression 2.
- We could “love our neighbor as ourselves” with food, clothing, shelter, financial and emotional support as we move from Summer surge to Fall flu….or build walls around our souls to match those on our southern border.
- We could vote for Joe Biden and other Democrats on November 3….or vote to give Donald Trump a second term. If Biden wins, things will get better in time; if Trump wins, things will get worse immediately.
Life is full choices, isn’t it?
3 replies on “Daughters in Decisionville, Coronaland”
You are very fortunate to have Daughters who do pay attention of their elder parents advice
Ken everything you stated is very true in these trying times ?
It is hard decisions for many people & businesses along with schools to figure out what is the best path to take forward!
There is a lack of leadership nationally and locally of what to do with much contradictions and don’t know what to believe!
Definitely hoping and praying that people will start listening to a higher voice and vote for a person that is capable of leadership and accept responsibility for his actions
Alan and I have both read this latest post and enjoyed it. Yes— we are all faced with many important decisions right now. Sometimes, I choose to focus on small decisions (& actions) because the large looming choices facing us are so overwhelming. I think one challenge for me is to remain engaged and optimistic that it can get better in spite of the enormity of it all (choosing our next President, helping somehow to reverse the complete failure of our federal response to the Coronavirus Pandemic & oh that little issue that will dwarf them all—- the climate change that so many are ignoring or refuting even as the world warms up all around us at rapid rates). Some days it makes it necessary for me to step back and focus on choices like “eggs or oatmeal” or whether to watch Community or Gilmore Girls on Netflix.
But alas, I very much appreciate your reminder to us that the choices coming up soon in this country are very important ones, indeed. Keep on keepin’ on, Ken Wolf! The world needs you to keep writing.
As one of my two most favorite daughters, I appreciate your totally unbiased comments on this blog post. My small efforts will not create much change, but your thoughts are welcome.
By the way, you are back in the will!