Cowboy Wisdom, You can do it, you are a winner.

His life will be easier than mine.

Isn’t that the goal? Knowing how to work hard, but still having a better life because of it?

I don't think so, I know plenty of people that work hard and have nothing but pride in accomplishment to show for it. I think hard work builds strong minded people, the better life comes with knowing you are good at something.

My father started at the bottom and made it to the top of his profession. I can never match his resume, but I don’t need to. I was taught to work hard and be proud of it. My kid knows how to work hard and is proud of it. Having an easier job isn’t the problem. It’s being taught as you are teaching your child that we work hard because it’s a reward you can’t achieve any other way.

And reaching the top is not always a good thing. My father hated being the boss. Too much bean counting and not enough real work. I know better. I’m getting another new boss soon because I know not to move into that position. My strengths are technical and not managerial. I could make more money, but at what cost?

I left a job paying well over what most make just to be my own boss, best move I ever made. Your father sounds a lot like mine, the photo I use in the cowboy wisdom memes is not my son but we have spent plenty of time discussing life.

Living in the south there are plenty of examples of success. I showed my son that even trailer parks have a pecking order. Some are nice, some run down and needed repairs are ignored, look closer and you will see an old 4x4, a boat and a swing set, that family lives for time off not for flash, not for status. You will also notice that is where the other kids in the park go to play.

You see the same elsewhere a parent works themselves to death to give a kids everything and the kids don't care, what they really want is time. We live in a world where money is more important than family, kids are aborted because they are costly and the people that fall into that trap will die rich but lonely. I would pick family over wealth any day.