“…There was a real interest on my part to try to help improve the insurance related corporate structures in that overall market. Most companies are owned by private stockholders, especially in the smaller countries. These are owner families whose primary interest is to make money. This is OK. However, there has to be an investment in human development in order to continue to make more money, and do so in a manner that allows those non-owners who work with the companies, to have a shot at a decent life. This holds true, especially with the continuing education of those who manage the day to day business end. This message and the delivery of all its related structures, was my mission.
However, I am digressing (nothing new here!!). The stage was beginning to set for some life decisions to be made. On the one side: my honest interest in Latin America. You could say: “loving Latin America is nice but, business is business”, and you would be right. But there is another perspective to that one side. When I went to Latin America because of my work, I was returning to my cultural roots, from which I had been yanked many years before. In fact, at one point I had to re-learn the Spanish language. My trips to Latin America reopened my eyes, mind and heart to the realities of my culture; the good as well as the bad. I had known my culture as a growing child, from the somewhat restrictive point of view of a fairly well-to-do, protective family, in the midst of a protective society. Frankly, I came to fall in love with the people I met, with their simple craziness and with the beauty of the countries and lifestyle. Given a choice, I really did not want to leave this mélange of people, countries, sounds and music; their thirst for learning, and the always present hope for the future. In many instances, this last is all they had to keep going.
On the other side: the developmental income needs of the Association that paid my wages, giving my family and I a very decent standard of living (economically speaking). On the one hand, the income being received from Latin America, despite the truly concerted work of the local representatives (all volunteer work) and my own, due to the currency exchange and the decreasing values of local currencies, was a continually diminishing corporate line in exchange for an ever increasing effort. On the other hand, each day spent with a Far Eastern company, would return about 5 to 7 times as much direct and derived income as the income derived from a Latin American company during the same period of time invested. Obviously, this was not a good combination; the writing was on the wall: my time would be increasingly spent in the Far East.
Anyway, that was a prelude to setting the stage. One of the primary US based member companies had (and has) several affiliated companies in different countries of Latin America, with the primary regional corporate headquarters being in Santiago, Chile. Just about the time I was being told my future leaned to the Far East (I had actually enrolled in Japanese Language courses!!), I was approached by the Latin American Vice President of the aforementioned big company. It seemed they were in need of a Regional Operations and Marketing Manager, who would report to him in Santiago and to the World Wide VP in the USA based Corporate Headquarters. Hmmm!
The offer included a lot of goodies: yearly vacation travel to the US with the family, private American style school for my children, the monthly cost of the house we would live in, and other expenses to be discussed. Of course, a decent salary as well was part of the package. It would also give us time to be a family, since travel, compared to what I did at the time, would be negligible.
It is said often that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually isn’t. Oh, the offer was very real. So is the company (still one of the large cats –although somewhat trimmed by recent developments- in the world). What in the end did not turn out so real, was the actual work conditions and the friendliness and interest of the person to whom I would have to report, and who was enticing me to go. After much thinking, I believe that the actual first step in this long spiral was taken: I made the decision to accept. You see, when I say “I made the decision”, so it was. It was not really consulted with my spouse.
Although done with the best intentions to provide more to my family, this was a major mistake on my part. I publicly do so admit. Actually, the eventual destiny of the marriage was already sealed; we just had no idea yet as to how badly the foundation was undermined…”
Well, we'll stop it there for now. Maybe there will be more if there is an interest expressed or, more likely, if there is a moment in which there is a need to fill the spot... It is part of a longer story, one which is still ongoing and perhaps this is what keeps me from putting it all here.
Be Well!! Be Back...
No comments:
Post a Comment