How do you balance the demands of earning a living and having a life?
The “narrative” strongly suggests that men find work/life balance by taking on all of the work, and leaving the “life” to his wife. Clearly, men are bucking these traditions left and right: men without wives need work/life balance, too, and even in more traditional marriages, men are primary caregivers in an increasing number of families, and forming more personalized arrangements of family life, dedicated spiritual practice, healthy behaviors, work, and play. In the process, we learn surprising things about our needs: that stay at home dads need friends and alone time, or that time spent doing nothing can be the most productive hour of the day.
Do you privilege a mentorship, church, a volunteer position, training for a marathon, or caring for a loved one over the 9-to-5 existence of your peers? Do you feel alone in your days, or do you find connections to others? Have your choices made you happier?
Justin Cascio writes Mafia Genealogy, where he finds clues to the crimes of capital-F Families in kinship networks. You can follow him on Twitter, Quora, and Facebook.
Here’s my submission : Nobody gives you work/life balance. You take it.