This one is really awful. I work with a woman who, until about a month ago, lived about 1,000 miles away from our office and worked at another site. She is doing a two-year rotation at our site. It's very prestigious to do this at our company, so she is clearly on the move up. I know this woman because we're on the same global team, so I see her at meetings around the world a couple times a year. The woman is extremely smart and nice. She's just a lovely, lovely person -- generous, warm, gets stuff done, etc..
We were at an all-day meeting today, and some of the women were talking about this CW's Prada shoes. The woman is originally from France, and they were talking about the fact that she always has $400 shoes on, very admiringly.
So later, I chat with her, and ask how the transition is going. She tells me that they weren't able to get their daughter into the prestigious private school in my neck of the woods, so her husband and daughter are staying back for the two years. In other words, the woman has moved away from her 10yo daughter for two years, in order to advance her career. Her eyes filled with tears as she told me. I asked if she was commuting back each weekend, and she said she couldn't afford it because flights are too expensive. I just don't understand this, and I wouldn't if it were a man, either. What is the purpose of life, if not to be physically present during your children's childhood?
This woman is at my job level, and has been for at least five years. So she's been making nearly $200K for quite a while now. I just don't understand it. And how do people not make the connection between the shoes and the other luxe things and the need to move away from your young child? There's a relationship there! Wouldn't it be better to send the kid to public school, rather than have her miss her mother for two years? I just don't understand.