Living in a Disabled World

My brother recently posted an article on Facebook that was published in “Perth Now” an aussie on line news station. It was entitled “Dads losing fight to balance work, family”. Now it was published given this title to coincide with Fathers Day in Australia thus trying to excuse itself from being ever so slightly sexist (we will overlook that). If you can overlook the ever so slightly sexist stance (see I really am trying to overlook it) and actually look at what I believe the author was trying to convey it is true for all working adults that have children regardless of gender, it is difficult to balance a modern family life and a modern job.

I work full time, I have a disabled husband and 3 children. I am doing a distance learning degree with Bradford College and am about to start my Masters with UWE on day release from work. I have 2 dogs, I have a large garden (disabled husband, guess who does the gardening…). Now you might think all these are life style choices I have made. I chose to have 3 children, I choose to work, I choose to live in a rural property with a large garden, I choose to educate myself. So therefore given that this is all my choice who am I to complain that I don’t have any work/life balance.

This is just another example of how modern life has changed. I remember the 1970’s (yes I really am that old and thank you for thinking I don’t look it), my Mum stayed at home and looked after the children, we had a car although not everyone we knew did, we didn’t have a telephone the phone box in the street was perfectly ample for our needs. We had new shoes, warm clothes that covered our bodies and food on the table (ok I hated stew but it was good wholesome food and no one had even heard of McDonalds). We had a TV, a small brown square box that sat in the corner and had childrens programs on for an hour in the evening. I recall my father purchasing our first VCR and how special we felt getting this new gadget. I don’t remember as a child wanting more. I remember at Christmas asking for a toy that was the latest must have. One year it was Orvil the Duck and I was so desperate for him. He was my “BIG” present.

So fast forward 30 years. Every household has at least one landline telephone and just about every member over the age of 10 has a mobile phone. Every family has at least one car if not one car for every member of the family. Every room in the house has a TV if not a TV and DVD player. Every household has a pc or 2 or 3.

There is a price to be paid for being a consumer and that is you have to earn money. So my point is, yes modern life is hardwork. It can be tiring but in a way isn’t it our choice that we live this way. We don’t have to have a mobile phone, I don’t remember feeling deprived in the 1970’s because I didn’t have a telephone let alone one in my pocket. Work/Life balance is called balance for a reason, have you ever tried to balance the type of scales that have a pan either side you get one side right and the other side tips slightly. Modern life is like that you either except it and get on with it or you get out of it, which some people do choose to do. if I were really brave I would get out of it, I would become self serficient, stay at home, grow veg, have a few animals, not worry about fashion because I don’t need to, etc. But wait did the scales just tip again?