It’s Not Always About You

I took the afternoon off work today so that I could be at home when my new car was delivered. My sister-in-law drove it into town from Montreal where it was purchased. (I know…isn’t that nice???) After she arrived, we went for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon together until the time I had to drive her to the airport so that she could catch a flight back home. After dropping her off, I called the office to check in. I spoke with Jacqui, our Director of Communications, discussing the details of our booth at the virtual convention we will be attending in a couple of weeks. I was driving and talking and admittedly, still getting used to the new size and fancy features of my new car. I wasn’t as focused on the road as I should have been when all at once I turned my gaze slightly to the left and noticed a police car driving slowly beside me.

Uh oh. He caught me. He must have seen me on the phone, not paying attention to my driving. I saw him looking at me. In one second flat I told Jacqui that I had to go – and I hung up on her without even saying goodbye.

My thoughts started running rampant. Perhaps I was speeding. Or maybe he’ll pull me over for not having a registered vehicle. Maybe he is going to comment on my 11 year old son sitting in the front seat (even though I know he’s old enough). Maybe he is going to tell me that I’m not a responsible mother. Maybe he is looking for a criminal and he thinks I’m her. Suddenly he slowed down and pulled up behind me. The lights on top of his roof started flashing. Oh God, I’m cooked…

I had to stay calm, for the sake of my son in the car. But guilt was written all over my face. I started to think of what I was going to say to get out of the mess…It’s a new car and I am not used to the larger size, that’s why I’m driving in two lanes… My son has a small bladder and he really needs to use the washroom, that’s why I’m speeding…

I pulled over and waited for my reprimand.

I looked in the rear view mirror to see him drive around me to catch up with the car ahead of me up the road.

Holy smokes! I breathed a sigh of relief and burst out laughing with my son. It wasn’t about me.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I took my kids to Disney for the Holidays. I figured was one of those once in a life time adventures that you have to do with your kids before they get too old. We went to all the Disney parks and left no stone unturned. We had a wonderful time.

Louis and Ferne each had $45 to spend on whatever keepsake they wanted to take home with them and they were both on a mission to find exactly what they were looking for. From the moment we stepped through the gates of Animal Kingdom, Louis was swept away in Disney’s ingenious pin trading industry and began to buy and trade pins he thought were cool, rare, and hard to come by. For the duration of the trip he was pin obsessed and visited every single pin booth he could find and stopped Disney Cast Members in their tracks to see if they had that one special pin he was looking for – Mickey’s foot prints. It would complete his set of four. He learned how to trade up – purchasing lower priced pins and trading them for those that were considered higher value and more exclusive. Including the $10 I gave him as a bonus for great behavior, he spent $60 altogether, taking a $5 loan from his sister. He left with an empty wallet but a lanyard full of really cool pins. He was so proud of his collection; he talked about it all the way home and showed everyone who had indicated the slightest interest.

Ferne, on the other hand, had an entirely different strategy in mind. She had a budget – she only wanted to spend a maximum of $3 and keep the rest tucked away for something else (I wasn’t sure what). Anyone who has been to Disney knows that there is nothing you can buy for only 3 dollars. Even the smallest little souvenir is no less than $5 – but she was not going to deviate from her plan. Luckily that extra $10 I gave her for great behavior as well came in handy! She found a picture frame for $12 and including tax, she was able to get something good within her budget! She was one happy girl!

After Orlando, we flew to Ft. Lauderdale to spend some time with my parents. As soon as we landed, Louis asked my mother for some odd jobs to do so that he could earn a few extra dollars. Ferne was automatically included in the deal. They both walked away with an additional $50!

So which is a better way to live? The answer is that it makes absolutely no difference. What matters is that they were each happy with their decisions and that their actions came entirely from their personal desires – without outside influence. What they did felt good to them and corresponded with their personalities, their characters, their interests and their nature