My poor wife had to cope with me being in the USA shortly after I started my new job. I am sure she would have agreed with a woman who was quoted in the telegraph as sayinghaving his comatose body home two days ahead of his mind drives me nuts.
This was certainly true of me after that trip! In fact I slept for ages on my return and twice thought I was in my hotel room on waking up. One of these times I was convinced I had another woman lying next to me in bed. I couldnt understand it as that really isnt my style! It took me almost five minutes to realise I was in my own bed with my own wife next to me!
Since travel is part of the job, what can a spouse do to lessen the stress?
Rita Yee, of ExpatCoach.com, recommends that partners talk beforehand about the impact business travel may have on the family and the relationship. “Get it all out and be heard,” advises Ms Yee. “As much as possible, be clear about when the trips are coming and how long they will be since no one likes last minute surprises. The spouse who stays home has to prepare for the trip too. Talking about the travel, rather than ignoring it, will help couples come up with a healthy coping strategy for both pre-departure and during his time away.”
Ms Yee also offers the following helpful tips to spouses:
Do make sure you’re prepared to handle whatever might come up while he’s away. Know who to call if a pipe bursts. Let friends and neighbours know you’re home alone.
Don’t play Superwoman. If you need extra help with the children while he’s away, reach out and ask. Martyrdom will get you nowhere.
Don’t brood while he’s away. Be so engaged in creating a life you love that you don’t have time to wallow in resentment.
The fact that Tony Blair was interrupted by Campbell during an interview with the reminded ‘we don’t do God’ is surely shocking.
An editorial in the London Daily Telegraph on Monday 5th May 2003 wryly comments:
One could write a book about everything that this little intervention has to tell us about Mr Blair and his style of government, and about Britain in 2003……
Further evidence of Number 10’s anxiety to avoid religious rhetoric during the Iraq war emerged yesterday in an article in The Times by Sir Peter Stothard, the newspaper’s former editor.
While having make-up applied for his screen appearance on the eve of hostilities in Iraq, the Prime Minister reportedly told his staff: “I want to end with, ‘God bless you’.”
At this point, according to The Times article, there was “a noisy team revolt in which every player appears to be complaining at once”. Staff said that this was “not a good idea”, to which an irritated Mr Blair – raising his voice – responded: “Oh no?”
One unidentified member of the Blair team reportedly replied: “You are talking to lots of people who don’t want chaplains pushing stuff down their throats.”
When the Prime Minister responded by saying: “You are the most ungodly lot I have ever . . .”, his speechwriter Peter Hyman, who is Jewish, replied tartly: “Ungodly? Count me out.”
Others intervened in what was becoming an impromptu theological debate: “That’s not the same God.” Mr Blair remained defiant. “It is the same God,” he said.
In the end, however, the religious phrase was not used and the message ended with a simple “Thank you”. According to The Times article, Mr Blair also said that he was ready to “meet his Maker” and account for his decision to go to war in Iraq.
Telegraph | Opinion | A question of faith How very strange that Mr Campbell is happy to tell the world about his own past struggles against alcoholism and mental breakdown, but shudders to hear his employer mentioning his religion. Mr Blair should trust more in the Almighty, and less in Alastair Campbell.
This is the same Blair who spoke of his generation as having a Spiritual need, and who once told the nation that conservatism was inconsistent with Christianity.
This is indeed a sad indictment on our nation!
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