I'm actually doing better with my reading this week. Despite the stress of the past week, I put some effort in and got a bit further in my book! Currently, I tend to read in the car, while going to school or the gym or home. I actually got another person to start reading my book, because they're really into financial stuff, and they're really enjoying it so far. As I'm reading my book and looking back at my previous posts, I noticed that most of my posts don't actually have anything to do with the business side of Enron's collapse. Most of the posts have to do with social aspects, ideas sparked from the mandatory "working together" part of business and companies described in my book. I am reading about the actual financial causes of Enron's fall in Conspiracy of Fools, but a big part of the reason Enron collapsed so spectacularly was because of all the drama and selfish ideas and lies that came from the people working in it, and all of these minor factors create such a wonderful (maybe I shouldn't say wonderful...in reality everything fell apart...how about thrilling? Or attention-grabbing?) back-story. I just find that particular angle of Enron's fall really intriguing.
This week, I decided I'd like to post about the social aspect of family. Skilling, the CEO of Enron, was having a difficult time balancing his dedication to work and his dedication to family. He tried, at first to make amends to his wife and kids when he didn't spend enough time with them, and tried to keep family first. Skilling once even arranged to work only part-time at Enron, but he cancelled that agreement when he realized he was scared to spend so much time with his family (Skilling didn't know how to interact with his wife and kids because he had previously spent so much time at work, making him super nervous at the thought of spending whole hours with them). Ultimately, things ended up with Skilling going back to work and shifting his family to the last priority on his list. He got divorced, and when he traveled to the Cayman Islands for a business conference, he noticed kids, like his own, playing on the beach sand and just burst into tears.
"...Skilling was a wreck. His divorce was just going through; he had hoped to set up a home a few blocks from Sue, so that the kids could come over whenever they wanted. But it wouldn't work. There was a visitation agreement, and Sue insisted he stick to the terms of the deal. 'If I had known the wedge this would drive between me and my kids...,' [Skilling] said, the words trailing off."
Skilling decided to put his work first. It was his passion and his joy...but in the end, he regretted his choice. Skilling was still no less dedicated to work. But he missed his family, his kids in particular, and he wished he had done things differently so that his relationship with them would have been better. I feel like situations like this happen to everyone. I know many people like to complain about how their parents are too strict, or how their siblings are annoying. I know that sometimes it's easy to forget that family should come first. But we all know when it happens, when something else gets in the way of spending time with or caring for family. Don't forget about family. Not just your blood relatives. Close friends, adopted siblings, pets...Family means anyone who means a lot, who cares for you as much as you care for them. Despite high school, sports, music, grades, volunteer work, dances, etc., just remember to let them know they're part of your family. It doesn't have to be an outright statement: "Did you know I consider you to be part of my family?" (Said with an overly ecstatic grin)...That's a little awkward. Just maybe hold a conversation with them about something you know they're really excited about, or do something especially nice for them when you haven't talked for a while. Just to let them know you care. Because family are the people who are always by your side no matter what. Family truly means everything to us. And "[f]amily means no one gets left behind or forgotten." (David Ogden Stiers)
This week, I decided I'd like to post about the social aspect of family. Skilling, the CEO of Enron, was having a difficult time balancing his dedication to work and his dedication to family. He tried, at first to make amends to his wife and kids when he didn't spend enough time with them, and tried to keep family first. Skilling once even arranged to work only part-time at Enron, but he cancelled that agreement when he realized he was scared to spend so much time with his family (Skilling didn't know how to interact with his wife and kids because he had previously spent so much time at work, making him super nervous at the thought of spending whole hours with them). Ultimately, things ended up with Skilling going back to work and shifting his family to the last priority on his list. He got divorced, and when he traveled to the Cayman Islands for a business conference, he noticed kids, like his own, playing on the beach sand and just burst into tears.
"...Skilling was a wreck. His divorce was just going through; he had hoped to set up a home a few blocks from Sue, so that the kids could come over whenever they wanted. But it wouldn't work. There was a visitation agreement, and Sue insisted he stick to the terms of the deal. 'If I had known the wedge this would drive between me and my kids...,' [Skilling] said, the words trailing off."
Skilling decided to put his work first. It was his passion and his joy...but in the end, he regretted his choice. Skilling was still no less dedicated to work. But he missed his family, his kids in particular, and he wished he had done things differently so that his relationship with them would have been better. I feel like situations like this happen to everyone. I know many people like to complain about how their parents are too strict, or how their siblings are annoying. I know that sometimes it's easy to forget that family should come first. But we all know when it happens, when something else gets in the way of spending time with or caring for family. Don't forget about family. Not just your blood relatives. Close friends, adopted siblings, pets...Family means anyone who means a lot, who cares for you as much as you care for them. Despite high school, sports, music, grades, volunteer work, dances, etc., just remember to let them know they're part of your family. It doesn't have to be an outright statement: "Did you know I consider you to be part of my family?" (Said with an overly ecstatic grin)...That's a little awkward. Just maybe hold a conversation with them about something you know they're really excited about, or do something especially nice for them when you haven't talked for a while. Just to let them know you care. Because family are the people who are always by your side no matter what. Family truly means everything to us. And "[f]amily means no one gets left behind or forgotten." (David Ogden Stiers)