Journal|Fifth: Time over Money or Money over Time?
I have been questioned by people, by my online students, even by my brother, the same question.
"Don't you like working abroad? You could earn more there."
It's never a bad idea to work abroad, in fact, it's a great opportunity. A lot of Filipino workers are working aboard for mainly the same thing which is, of course, earning more. What else can I say... It's never a secret that the wage rates in the Philippines aren't that appealing and satisfying so most Filipino people tend to work in foreign countries to support their family financially.
As an online English tutor for years, I could possibly have a great chance to work as an English tutor in foreign countries as I have got friends who worked there so I could easily get a job. I have met the same questions asked by my students if I were willing to work in their country. That's not a difficult question to answer, right? I was asked countless times by my friends if I had a passport because their employers are looking for Filipino teachers who have ESL experience.
Would you like to work as an English tutor in my country?
What would you answer? It could be "Yes" or perhaps "No?". Why... Why not?
They say every coin has two sides. There is an upside... there is a downside. There is pros... cons. There is an advantage... and a disadvantage. You see, in everything you do, there is good... hoping that there is no bad but this is life, everything should be a balance. There can't always be good. There can't always be bad.
You are prolly curious what's my answer to their questions or some maybe have already guessed what it is.
Well, for me TIME is very important. I have written in one of my previous blogs that I stayed away from my family for 5 years because I had to work that paid better than a provincial wage. And if you didn't know, I was a working student at my uncle's home for 4 years and never had a proper vacation at my family's home. I could only visit my family when my uncle and aunt decided to visit my hometown for 2 or 3 days and they couldn't leave me behind when those days were over. It saddened me, thinking I never spent good days with family during those times. Those years when I was young, supposed to be with my family, building wonderful memories just like other college students do with their parents but I couldn't.
I had a great position with my job in Cebu before I left that city. I had a satisfying pay and could send some to my parents. I thought that was enough... having a great job, having a great life in the city, sending a portion of my salary to my parents that's enough for them. I thought because I wasn't able to enjoy my younger life so much that I should find a better-paid job even if I was away from my family. I could enjoy my life because I could already afford the things that I couldn't when I was younger.
But No. Everything about I thought was torn down by just one news.
My mother called me one late afternoon, telling me that my father was 50-50 in the hospital and I couldn't easily get to help and comfort them especially my mother because I was very far, like really far and the only thing I could do was send money and cry all day and night. Even up to this moment, I still remember the pain I felt when I heard Mama crying over the phone. And that's the time I wished I was just working near our home or I could easily get home to take care of my ill father and comfort my dear mother. That's the time I was unrealistically thinking if a genie was true, I would definitely make a wish. But no, they aren't real. Yes, I was sending money but that colored paper can't really buy everything.
Source
It couldn't buy my happiness that time.
It couldn't ease the pain that my mother felt that time.
It's couldn't easily heal my father back then.
It's couldn't make my wish come true.
It's couldn't cope the pain I felt.
And it can't buy me the time that I was far from my family.
So, yes. I won't exchange a more ginormous wage over my not so big wage now and my time with my family.
Perhaps, others are thinking that working abroad these days can be for a year only so I should not waste that. Well, I probably just have a simple mindset. I really just prefer to work at home and be always with my family. I won't exchange everything I am doing and having at the moment with a huge wage.
That's all for this journal. 🤗
Spread "LOVE"!
Loving you all, Steemians.
Loudette 😘
Very interesting. Most people figure all of this out when it is too late, you have figured it when it is just right. Great for you, I too could be living somewhere else, very very easily but choose not to for a multitude of reasons one of the main ones you mentioned above which is family, friends, community, etc. The most impressive thing that you don't mention here is very likely the biggest reason find themselves chasing down every extra dime they can scrape together is because they are doing it to impress other people, and in the end it means very little to them for none of the right reasons. I look at what you do as similar to Superman when he is growing up on Krypton, lol. The atmosphere is crippling to a standard human being, but this race of people have become highly advanced because of being pushed harder each day to do the right thing as far as progress goes, as well as the humanity and spirit of the people in the community. Great post, very very true!
Yeah. I couldn't agree more. Most people here in my country prefer to work farther, specifically in the cities, because they think they need to earn more but it's not mainly their reason, it's because they want to gain a great impression from others which I think I obtained but nevertheless, that didn't help me to bring back the time that I should have been spending with my family. Well, I am still young and I am with my family now so I treasure every memory we spend together. :-)
You got a 30.57% upvote from @lrd courtesy of @cryptkeeper17!