the professional superhighway

the path is relatively clear. you step into a good school and work hard. you get into a good professional school and work even harder. you get hired at a great firm/hospital/company and work harder than you thought possible. you make a lot of money. you buy lots of things but can never take time off. at best you take short, expensive getaways from the city. you eat at the best restaurants. you move up the ranks. you develop a taste for the most expensive italian suits. you make partner/open your own clinic, receive professional accolades, discover things, write stuff, etc. if you’re lucky/unlucky you have a couple of kids in the process. you put them through school by writing cheques. you hardly ever see them, and even then for an hour or two before either one of you has to rush off. you might enjoy your work but the hours take their toll. your investment profile grows and grows. you sit on boards and make contributions to charity. you give speeches and give political support.

but some days, when you see the other half, you wonder if this is what you wanted. did you come so far for so very, very little?