Hello Again, Part I

There have been so many times when I have wanted to blog like mad lately. The time has escaped me, or it's been beyond PG-13, or some form of maturity got the better of me. What a couple of years it has been. Oh sure, the first year wasn't too bad, and frankly we planned for it to be rough. But this past one...uh, no, we did not see it coming.

The net result is such a change in both my husband and I that we are really not the same people we once were at all. This is both a good and a bad thing, as is often the case with dramatic learning curves. Between the professional assaults made personal, and the ever expanding government regulation of small business, it's a brave new world nowadays. And one we just don't care to gamble in any more, thankyouverymuch.

Both Dad-A-Thon (DAT) and I come from entrepreneurial families. It's a breed of human being, really. Perpetual optimists, with occasional brushes with skepticism. Entrepreneurs are what makes capitalism work: some crazy dude with authority issues decides he must do things his way, and voila! He's starting XYZ Window Washer Company. It's a gamble, but one that he hopes will pay off, if not in his lifetime, in the lifetime of his children. This spirit is what has changed the trajectory of many an immigrant's life in what was once called The Melting Pot.
Now, however, the gamble simply isn't worth it. And I am sad to say, that though I despise it, I see a future where the only responsible way to take care of yourself and provide for your family is to beat down that independent spirit and get a secure job. I hate that italicized phrase with every ounce of my being. But it is no longer a gamble to risk time and resources in the hopes that you can compete and win in a free market. It's downright stupid. The bet is rigged for all players to lose and the house to win.

About two years ago, a friend asked me if I hoped that one or both of the Kids-A-Thon would run the family biz one day. My answer--a knee jerk reaction--was, "I hope not! I hope they won't have to work that hard." If she were to ask me that question now, I'd still say "No," but I'd follow it with, "The risk simply isn't worth the cost to one's self and family." (Okay, I wouldn't actually say, "one's self," but you get the idea.)

What I've learned from the past couple of years has been hard, but mostly it's been sad. I'm sad that I've moved from letting the kids consider the idea of carrying on their ancestors' legacies, to actively counseling them against the idea. And I'm sad that this nation once fought so desperately for freedom, and is now handing it over utterly unaware.