Male Pattern Blindness

Men tend to either always think of themselves, or never think of themselves.

Those who always think of themselves often spend a lot of time in the gym so they always look great.

But for those who put job and responsibility to others ahead of everything else, they will often allow their idea of taking care of work and taking care of family to merge into one.  Their job becomes their life.

Ironically, this causes them to ignore both, their family and their own health.

You’ve heard of Male Pattern Baldness?  Let’s call this “Male Pattern Blindness.”   I admit to some of both of those patterns myself.

You have to realize, if you don’t pay attention to family, you may lose them.  Even if you still have your job, what's the use?

Likewise, if you don’t pay attention to your health, someday you might be unable to work to take care of your family, which was your primary motivation for overwork in the first place.

The conclusion must be that you have to pay attention to all 3, and find balance between them.

There was a time when my wife couldn’t work very much, for health reasons.  I worked 2 jobs – practically 80 hours a week – to pay the bills.

I ended up ignoring both family and health because there just wasn’t time.  I was too tired for anything else once work was done.

Later, as my wife’s health improved, we still had bills, and my wife still couldn’t work as much as she used to.

But when I offered to keep working so she wouldn’t have to, she told me absolutely not!

She wanted to see me, and she didn’t want me to ignore my health through overwork and stress.

She’s a nurse practitioner, so she knows what she’s talking about. She’s also a loving wife. 

She made me see my blindness through her eyes.  I thank her for that insight.