Kissing tonsils and a wobbly economy
MAY 13TH, 2010 By DOMINIC
There’s nothing like the gut wrenching experience of seeing your child being prepared to go into an operating theatre to put the irritations and challenges of everyday life into perspective.
In the last week our three year old son has spent a short spell in Macclesfield General recovering after having his tonsils and adenoids removed. A common childhood procedure, which many of us have endured, lived to tell the tale and now probably only hazily recollect. Until, it was my son having the operation. All of a sudden it didn’t seem so minor after all.
Seeing my most precious possession so vulnerable unsettled me to the core and I was beginning to feel increasingly helpless with the situation that confronted us. The next couple of hours while he was on the operating table were completely out of my control.
To claw back a degree of control I had to be sure I trusted the surgeon and team working on him. Reports back were very positive, with other medical professionals conceding that they would have no qualms in him operating on their child. I just needed to meet him, look him in the eye and get the measure of the man to be sure. This duly happened and I was able to meet the anaesthetist and other members of the medical team who would be looking after him while ‘he was under’. I had to understand what their roles were and be confident in their abilities. I have to say they were excellent and allayed my anxieties. Of course, they were always going to be true professionals but I still had to look them all in the eye to seal it.
One week on, Jensen is almost back to his normal self and for him it is already a distant memory but for me it reaffirms how trust is the bedrock to our being. Whether it’s in a marriage, friendships, business, driving down the street, crossing the road…we have to trust those around us.
With a confirmed coalition government, crisis in the Eurozone and a fragile economy the FTSE 100 is volatile. It’s now more important than ever to trust who is giving you financial advice. Be diligent. Probe and disturb the adviser. If you’re not sure, walk away, get a second opinion. Don’t feel pressured.
In uncertain times it’s human nature to shun away from making financial decisions but volatility does bring opportunity. Diversification is absolutely key; property, equities, structured products, gilts, national savings and cash.
Unlike the medical sector where professionalism and experience should be a given, unfortunately, the financial services industry isn’t on a par. While it’s improving, you really need to do your homework.
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