PROS AND CONS

My wife had gone to bed that night and I was busy making calculations. She called out to me and asked “What are you working on so late?”

“I told you about the job offer that has come to me from a multinational firm. It will be the rank of vice president with a big salary and perks. I’m 50 and have a decade left to work. I’ve to decide.”

My wife said “I’ve over 14 years of work left. Have you taken that into account?”

“Well I haven’t.”

“You had mentioned the job is in another city well away from here. Don’t disturb my career. My perks are good and the salary too. I get a handsome bonus also. I like my job, my colleagues and my bosses too.”

I thought a little and said “I’m looking to the future. I’ll retire at 60. I’m calculating how much money I’d be left with taking into account my present and proposed jobs and how much I’ll need in retirement. I’ve calculated the amount needed after insurance and inflation to survive.....” I referred my work sheet and said “to survive from 60 to 70 and from 70 to 80.” I laughed and added “The money need becomes higher as survival rate grows.”

My wife was silent. I said “Should I not use the degrees I’ve earned to land a prestigious job?”

She laughed and said “Degrees have shelf lives. At 50 your degrees are obsolete. Learning has advanced so rapidly. You’re being offered the new job because of your experience.”

 I said “Don’t underestimate my degrees.”

My wife laughed and said “I read in the newspaper that a 22 year old graduate has been selected for a job with five times your present salary.”

I was annoyed and said “Yes. These days these boys and girls get astronomical salaries. But they lack experience. You know I’m a guest lecturer at a training centre. As I spoke about water conservation and cost reduction, an executive from a prominent soap manufacturer got up and said ‘It is easy for a specialist to say cut 2% water and you’ll save so much money. They overlook experience. Cutting 2% water has to be done with great care. The experienced man is more important who knows how to reduce the water. Otherwise if water is reduced even for 10 minutes in our company it will mean waste of about 1800 cakes of soap.’  So my wife, please. don’t be in praise boy wonders. Experience is required and that is where I come in.”

My wife said “Experience has also shelf life. I agree you are probably preferred because of your man management ability and planning foresight.”

I had to agree. I said “Sure, things are changing. The ways of learning are changing. Expectations of people are changing. Those are philosophical views. We were looking at my wanting to climb to a new post.”

She was silent. I said “I’m also a bit tired of working out the details I had told you about. Let me close my work sheets and talk to you.” I did just that and was with her.

I said “I was working on the money requirement for post-retirement living.”

My wife said “You haven’t taken into account the cost of educating Junior. Have you calculated how much you would’ve to spend if he took up medicine or chose to study abroad?”

I said “I studied with the scholarships I earned.”

“Things have changed. He has to be financed. I don’t deny he could follow in your footsteps but should be provided for while working out money requirement post retirement.”

“I understand. That means I should definitely opt for the new job with higher pay.”

“Don’t decide in a hurry. Have you taken into account my earnings?”

“No I haven’t.”

“Do that. The new job requires you to move away from here. Here we’re living in our own apartment.”

“Wait a minute. I forgot to tell you that the new job provides housing at nominal rent. And will also pick up translocation costs.”

My wife said “This apartment belonged to your dad and has come to you. There is no rent to pay. We have a reliable maid. We’re known here. Despite Amazon and other on line services I’m a familiar figure in the local markets and medicine stores. Our family doctor renders normal medical service. A well-known hospital is on the next road in case I need special medical care. My workplace is not far from here. I’m not willing to shift from here. You would’ve to live alone in the new location.”

“Of course I can live alone as the company’s housing complex has catering service. There is a club  where I can play my bridge game which I sometimes play on line. They told me the club has a library where I can browse or borrow books. The club is bar attached and I can avail of it.”

My wife said “That is one thing I’m afraid of. Liquor addiction. You’re likely to say a can a day and then make it.....”

I said “I haven’t provided for liquor in my estimate for living post retirement.”

My wife got a phone call and we were interrupted. After a while my wife said “That was my friend Jane. She has a live in cook who has been hospitalised near here and will visit us tomorrow when she comes to visit the cook. Jane has to bear the medical expenses of the cook.”

“She has money. That brings me to the fact that I’ve to provide for enhanced medical expenses and assisted living should we live long. Perhaps with in-house nurses. If we can’t manage, that is where Junior comes in.”

“You should be ashamed to be saying that. He won’t be unencumbered as he will have his own family to look after. The way you want to provide you should be a billionaire whereas you would only be a company vice president.”

I laughed and said “In fact one of them.”

She said “Not worthwhile going to the new job. Stay with us and work here and all of us will be happy.”

I was also relieved that I will also not miss my personal assistant Teresa. She is not as you imagine an attractive young woman! Her looks are average. She is 35 mother of two, short , and heavy set for her age but for efficiency you can’t beat her: Every memo, every message, every tweet will be kept up to date and will be brought out in a moment on request. And all my papers will be kept systematically.

END