Quote of the Day
Time not spent investing in yourself carries an opportunity cost, rendering you at a competitive disadvantage compared to the others who are maintaining the priority of self-advancement.
— David Brooks quoting Victoria Buehler, who was describing the attitude of Millennials.
My sister claims that this animated GIF perfectly summarizes what it feels like to have two daughters at university. In my case, the cost of two sons going to university was no less expensive.
Figure 1: My Sister's View of Putting Two Daughters Through University. The scene is from the movie Spanky, which starred Spanky MacFarland.
Paying school bills is certainly not the only expensive item for parents. I often tell people that the most expensive movie I ever took my sons to was The Mighty Ducks – it cost me about $4k per year for a number of years. This was roughly the cost back in the 1990s of having two kids in traveling hockey. After my sons saw that movie, they were determined to become hockey players.
I looked back on it all fondly now. My wife and I will be grandparents this fall, and we look forward to helping our son and his wife with our grandchild. I have fond memories of my grandparents, and I smile when I think of Deena Nataf saying that "Grandparents and grandchildren have a special relationship because they share a common enemy" 😉
If I play my cards right, it won't be that many years before I have the kid designing Raspberry Pie-based hardware …