Philosophical Musing #11
Hmm, there are too many philosophical musings posts in such a short space of time, I'm becoming too serious (but wiser though!). Well, I'll try to think less, and act more in the future, which will probably come true once I've landed in China on Tuesdaaay. At least the act of eating will be more frequent, heehee.
Anyway, I was thinking the other day about career vs. family, which was triggered by an event that occurred yesterday. My cousin has opened a restaurant in Stockholm, and he invited us to attend a barbeque there, because this weekend is a public holiday in Sweden. It's a holiday called Midsummer, and basically the tradition is to dance around a phalic symbol, to celebrate summer(?) or the fertility of the earth(?) or something like that. Regardless, it's a day that is usually celebrated with family or friends, kind of like Christmas family spirit, I suppose. We ate lots of yummy things, like prawns, sweet potatos, and corn at the barbeque. My sister wanted to eat the biiiggest lobster, but when she opened it, there was a lot of black runny stuff, which was apprently its poo, and she lost her appetite, hoho. Anyway, I did not intend to muse about the food, so I'll move on to my main point.
There were several other regular guests at the restaurant too, who were mostly drinking. My cousin said they were all single people, without families. That must have been true, why else would they be sitting and drinking by themselves on a day to feast with your family? There was a man who even got so drunk that he peed his pants, threw up, and even fell flat on his front when he stood up to take a step. No one kept an eye on him, and he got that drunk. When he sat down, his pee was still dripping, and he started to cry, he was a mess, and it was quite a sight, making me feel sympathetic and pitiful for him. What happened to him? Does he have no family? He must feel so lonely to have drunk himself so drunk, he must have a reality so hard to face.
That sight made me vow over and over again whenever I glanced at him to always, always prioritise my family and relatives, and friends. I vowed to always keep in contact with my parents, my sister, and all my relatives, and to see them as often as possible, as well as to always be there for them. I will always nurture my relationship with them. I vowed that when I get married and build my own family, they will be the centre of my life. Sure, my career is important, but I don't want to ever break my family apart for my career. For instance, people sometimes go abroad for a while for the sake of their occupational avdancement, but at the cost of leaving their families, spouse or children behind. I will try to never do that. I suppose I am a bit of a hypocrite, because I left Sweden to study in the UK, therefore leaving my parents...but I hope when I have my own family, I will not break it apart.
In the modern society, it seems like it is so easy for families to break apart. In my opinion, family is the only permanent thing we have in our lives in the end. Friends are important, and in no way am I saying they are less important, but they come and go. I wish it wasn't that way, but people move and lose contact, or people simply grow apart. But family, it never comes and goes, you have the same parents, and although you may grow apart or argue like crazy, parents never leave their children. If you get ill and need help in your daily life, it's your spouse or partner or children that will be your primary carer. Your friends will be important, but rarely do they give up a part of their lives to help like family would. So ultimately, to conclude my musing: family is the most important thing in life - moreso than career and money.
P.S. The other day, I saw something funny. A woman was pushing her two children in a pram, and usually prams for two babies are designed with double "beds" adjacent to each other, or on top of each other. This mother's pram only had one "bed", and the two babies were piled on top of each other like pancakes. The one on the bottom looked so uncomfortable, but the one on the top looked like it was having the time of its life. I almost laughed out loud when they passed by.
Anyway, I was thinking the other day about career vs. family, which was triggered by an event that occurred yesterday. My cousin has opened a restaurant in Stockholm, and he invited us to attend a barbeque there, because this weekend is a public holiday in Sweden. It's a holiday called Midsummer, and basically the tradition is to dance around a phalic symbol, to celebrate summer(?) or the fertility of the earth(?) or something like that. Regardless, it's a day that is usually celebrated with family or friends, kind of like Christmas family spirit, I suppose. We ate lots of yummy things, like prawns, sweet potatos, and corn at the barbeque. My sister wanted to eat the biiiggest lobster, but when she opened it, there was a lot of black runny stuff, which was apprently its poo, and she lost her appetite, hoho. Anyway, I did not intend to muse about the food, so I'll move on to my main point.
There were several other regular guests at the restaurant too, who were mostly drinking. My cousin said they were all single people, without families. That must have been true, why else would they be sitting and drinking by themselves on a day to feast with your family? There was a man who even got so drunk that he peed his pants, threw up, and even fell flat on his front when he stood up to take a step. No one kept an eye on him, and he got that drunk. When he sat down, his pee was still dripping, and he started to cry, he was a mess, and it was quite a sight, making me feel sympathetic and pitiful for him. What happened to him? Does he have no family? He must feel so lonely to have drunk himself so drunk, he must have a reality so hard to face.
That sight made me vow over and over again whenever I glanced at him to always, always prioritise my family and relatives, and friends. I vowed to always keep in contact with my parents, my sister, and all my relatives, and to see them as often as possible, as well as to always be there for them. I will always nurture my relationship with them. I vowed that when I get married and build my own family, they will be the centre of my life. Sure, my career is important, but I don't want to ever break my family apart for my career. For instance, people sometimes go abroad for a while for the sake of their occupational avdancement, but at the cost of leaving their families, spouse or children behind. I will try to never do that. I suppose I am a bit of a hypocrite, because I left Sweden to study in the UK, therefore leaving my parents...but I hope when I have my own family, I will not break it apart.
In the modern society, it seems like it is so easy for families to break apart. In my opinion, family is the only permanent thing we have in our lives in the end. Friends are important, and in no way am I saying they are less important, but they come and go. I wish it wasn't that way, but people move and lose contact, or people simply grow apart. But family, it never comes and goes, you have the same parents, and although you may grow apart or argue like crazy, parents never leave their children. If you get ill and need help in your daily life, it's your spouse or partner or children that will be your primary carer. Your friends will be important, but rarely do they give up a part of their lives to help like family would. So ultimately, to conclude my musing: family is the most important thing in life - moreso than career and money.
P.S. The other day, I saw something funny. A woman was pushing her two children in a pram, and usually prams for two babies are designed with double "beds" adjacent to each other, or on top of each other. This mother's pram only had one "bed", and the two babies were piled on top of each other like pancakes. The one on the bottom looked so uncomfortable, but the one on the top looked like it was having the time of its life. I almost laughed out loud when they passed by.
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