Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.
Don’t forget to click the link to see what everyone else has to say on this week’s subject. It’s at the end of my post.
Continuing on the topic of money. What is the hardest thing you have done to earn money?
Apart from trying to market my books, 🤣 there is only one thing that springs to mind. And it might not be what you expect.
As I said last week, I’ve been both rich and poor. One side effect of being poor is that there have been times in my life when I’ve had to do things I haven’t particularly enjoyed, just to ensure that bills were paid and we survived as a family. At that time, the hardest jobs were those that required little input from me, just the repetition of a simple task.
For instance.
To earn extra money to pay my bills, I had a side job cleaning and delivering cars for a hire car company. I used to do this between shifts at my low-paid but full-time job.
Washing cars in the cold and the rain is not fun. And the looks I used to get from people passing by were quite telling. It was clear that they thought they were so much better than me. I used to idly wonder how many of them had a degree in Nautical Science and had commanded a ship.
But, the hardest thing I ever had to do was leave my wife and family for four or five months at a time to go to sea. I loved the seafaring life, as a single man, it was great. Even as a married man with no children, it was pretty good, as I could take my wife with me.
She got something out of it, too. A carefree holiday with all her food and drink paid for, while on a four-month mystery cruise around the world.
Once we had children, it became harder to go each time. To a young child, four months is an age. They change so much, as an absent parent, you miss it all. Plus, they take time to get to know you when you do come home. Just as that happens, you’re going away again. And there’s always the nagging guilt, that you’re leaving all the responsibility to someone else, with no easy way of getting back to help out, should you be needed.
As soon as I could, I gave up the seafaring life, to be more of a parent. I found that was the start of another hard phase. From a position near the top, I had to start again at the bottom. It took several years to get back to the same level.
Looking back from a reasonably comfortable retirement, I can see that every day was worth it. I was there for my children and my wife, as I should have been.
It’s been hard but worthwhile. The experiences I’ve had have helped to shape my writing, which has been an unexpected bonus.
What do you think about this week’s subject?
Let me know by leaving me a comment.
While you’re here, please click the InLinkz link to check out what my fellow writers have to say about this week’s topic.
I’ll be back with another post on Thursday, see you then. Meanwhile, have a great week.
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Stevie Turner
Yes, it must be terribly hard having to leave your family for months at a time. I don’t think I could have done it.
Richard Dee
I wouldn’t want to do it now, I think I got out at the right time. While I was piloting I saw it change (not for the better).
P.J. MacLayne
My son-in-law is a union welder. He has to go from job to job (for months at a time). It’s hard on my daughter and the grandkids. When he gets jobs close to home, it’s a great thing.
Richard Dee
As time passes and circumstances change, good jobs can become different things.
Lela Markham
I was fortunate in never having to leave my kids for work — my husband had to and it was hard for the entire family. But I didn’t have to work extra jobs when he worked remote, so I got to spend more time with the kids. And then he got to spend all his time with them when he was home and he wouldn’t be exhausted from 10-hour shifts on local construction projects. It seems like there’s always a trade off.
Richard Dee
That’s right, in the end, it was an easy decision.
Samantha Bryant
That would be rough! @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Richard Dee
It got harder as time went on.
Kelly Williams
My dad would be away either the military every year on my birthday for several weeks. So I can empathize a bit. It made him feel so bad, but we needed that extra income. My parents did so much to provide a good life. I love them so much! Hopefully yours saw that too!
Richard Dee
Thanks, when I see the women they’ve all become, I realise that I must have got it right.