Despite my degree (& graduate work), I CHOSE to leave my position as an Executive Assistant at a Top-100 law school to become a homemaker. Despite his (music) degree, my husband owns a modest renovation business that provides enough, but not excessively, and only through hard manual labor. I work part-time from home for a non-profit that I love just so that we have health insurance, and he plays music part-time because it makes him happy. We JOYFULLY do without so that we can enjoy the things & experiences that we DO have, and everything else works itself out.
WE DON'T FIT INTO YOUR PERCENTAGES!! :)
WE DON'T FIT INTO YOUR PERCENTAGES!! :)
Awesome and Inspiring!
ReplyDeleteLove the self-reliant streak, but please don't judge anyone else until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Do you think your husband can keep doing hard manual labor indefinitely? What if your non-profit suddenly decides that they need to downsize?
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of people who are hurting because their jobs have been outsourced or downsized, who are competing against younger (and cheaper) job seekers in the market, and who have to make difficult decisions regarding houses and mortgages to which they are shackled because of Wall Street speculation and the housing bubble. Do they stay and burn through all their saving and retirement trying to save their homes, or do they walk away and destroy their credit to start over where they *might* be more jobs?
bgflores: I ABSOLUTELY get where you're coming from, and agree with your sentiment 100%. I was on my own for more than 10 years before meeting my husband and 'coming home', and worked every job imaginable, including manual labor (which gets a whole lot of downright unpleasant comments when you're a girl). I went into a lot of personal debt, and am surely digging myself out almost a decade later. I've lost jobs unexpectedly, I've been unable to pay bills, and there have been times that I've put VERY little (i.e.: nothing) into savings, because it's not even there to buy food, much less save for a rainy day.
ReplyDeleteThis is not at ALL to say that I can imagine what it must feel like when choosing between one's home and a meal for your family. What I am saying is that, in general, wouldn't it be great if we could all *decide ahead of time* to live on just a little bit less? Hindsight is 20/20, eh?
Mandy,
ReplyDeleteI just LOVE your words on this post. So proud of you and Jean.
Love to you my friend,
Cathy ( from the Homestead )
Thank you, Cathy! So kind of you to say. We really need and appreciate your supportive words!
ReplyDeleteMandy,
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is so awesome about how you and Jean feel is that you both just "get it" and you are young. It took Jon and I many years to "get it" and when we did...it's the BEST feeling ever.
Love ya,
Cathy