You Vote: Birth of Child or Big Payday?

[Patch]

Assuming the wife and husband were smart enough to know they could afford their first child, I'd think they would pick the new birth.

Fortunately for my wife and I, we did wait for our first born. We earned our degrees, which made the future pay checks much healthier. Make no mistake, rich or poor, our two daughters are worth more to us than all the money in the world.

The up side of  having a successful life style before children means we could do more for our daughters, which in turn allowed them to be successful in their adult lives.

All that said I voted to view the birth of our first child. That would be pretty special. Ironically that was so long ago, that at the time fathers were not normally allowed in the room during the delivery. I missed them both due to that restriction.

[Golfingdad]

I don't know the answer to this one.  Present day me would take the money in a second.  But present day me has already seen two kids being born (both ways) and realizes that it's not the biggest deal in the world compared to everything else that comes after that.

But I think the me that existed just prior to our first kid might not also feel that way ... I'm just not sure.

[colin007]

agreed - not exactly what I care to remember whenever I see that particular special place

hahahah!!!!  gives a new meaning to "in the hole" @inthehole ...

anyways, im taking the money.  i have heard that there may be POOP involved with witnessing a birth.  NO GUSTA POOP.

[mvmac]

I'd take the payday. I think it would be irresponsible not to. My wife agrees with me

Hunter Mahan chose to walk off the course when he had a shot at winning to witness the birth of his child but the payday wasn't close to what Horschel was playing for.  I'd also guess Mahan had more in the bank than Horschel did before yesterday.

Yeah Horschel was playing for life changing money and a lot of financial security for his family. Golfers are paid well but you never know what's going to happen in the future. You could get injured or for whatever reason lose your tour card. Gotta make the most of it while you can.

[Slice of Life]

Yeah Horschel was playing for life changing money and a lot of financial security for his family. Golfers are paid well but you never know what's going to happen in the future. You could get injured or for whatever reason lose your tour card. Gotta make the most of it while you can.

Yup. He could retire tomorrow and support his family comfortably for the rest of his life now.

[newtogolf]

I'd take the payday. I think it would be irresponsible not to. My wife agrees with me

Yeah Horschel was playing for life changing money and a lot of financial security for his family. Golfers are paid well but you never know what's going to happen in the future. You could get injured or for whatever reason lose your tour card. Gotta make the most of it while you can.

In addition to the money from the tournament itself, there are endorsement deals that come with it that he'd likely not have a shot at without the win yesterday.

[14ledo81]

I guess it depends on whether the big payday is life changing.  I'd choose the birth of my first child over a million dollar payday, if I already had $10 million in the bank.

I'd take $10k over the birth, if we were barely putting food on the table as it is and that money would make a real difference in the next year or longer.

To put it into more recent context, Billy Horschel would have been an IDIOT to withdraw from the tournament Sunday to attend the birth of his child......or anything else for that matter.  He's now relatively set financially for life.  You just can't pass something like that up for anything.

This is the only way I take the money.  If I am making a living as is, and the money would just move my family into some finer things (that money buys) in life, I don't take it.

[webb1522]

You never want to think for the worst but if there were to be any complications with the birth, I would never forgive myself for letting her go through what would happen next alone.

[14ledo81]

You never want to think for the worst but if there were to be any complications with the birth, I would never forgive myself for letting her go through what would happen next alone.

Good point.

[Zeph]

Money, money every time.

You never want to think for the worst but if there were to be any complications with the birth, I would never forgive myself for letting her go through what would happen next alone.

Doesn't have to be alone just because you're not there.

[Dave2512]

Money for me. For BH the playoffs also seemed to signal his arrival as a better player. Women give birth all the time with no problem. This is a life changing opportunity for his family.

[NJpatbee]

OK, I admit that I rushed and selected payday by mistake so the % should be slightly different.  To me there would be no hesitation in choosing to see my first (and every other) child born.  I had my three daughters at the ages of 27, 30, and 35, and can remember every second of each birth.  I could not tell you what projects I was running or what deals were closed at those times, but when I think back to age 27 one thought comes to mind - the birth of my first child.

Perhaps it is because I am older than most of you (62) or just have a different view of life, but there is plenty of time to make money, but the birth of a child happens only once.  Now I am still working and spent many of my awake hours advancing my profession, making $$$, and spending much of it on my children.  But I do not even view the 2 choices as being in the same league.

[cipher]

You never want to think for the worst but if there were to be any complications with the birth, I would never forgive myself for letting her go through what would happen next alone.

I agree, yeah the chance is very small but there is still that risk.  You never know, especially with a firstborn.  Even if something "almost" happens you want to be there for your partner.  I would struggle with it a lot as well.

This is not the same situation but it tells what this is really about to me.   You do not have a life changing amount of money at your disposal.   You have a child that you love dearly that is now 16.  You are in the same situation where you can make a lot of money.  The child gets in a car accident, is dying and you have a choice. Make the money or say goodbye.  Any sane person goes to say goodbye even if the child is unresponsive.  I am not trying to equate the two but it does draw a comparison.  We value closure, we value time spent, we value the moments that money can create.  The start of life is valued less because we assume there are years of time to be spent, we desire closure for that time spent well or not spent well enough.  It is not just the life itself that we are putting a value on but the time/moments with that life nearly as much.

So back to the original question.  The risk is small, but is it worth it?  It sounds like to most people it is.  How much is a memory like carrying your newborn son down the hall of the hospital to the nursery at the hospital worth?  I would not give that up.  Life is quantified in terms of time, and that time is only as valuable as the memories of who you are with and what you do with it to me.   I know a lot of wealthy people, I don't know many truly happy people.

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Money for me. For BH the playoffs also seemed to signal his arrival as a better player. Women give birth all the time with no problem. This is a life changing opportunity for his family.

Attending the birth of your first child is a life changing opportunity.  He will make more money.

[webb1522]

Money, money every time. Doesn't have to be alone just because you're not there.

This is true, but I would not be in the right state of mind for anything for I don't know how long. This is just my opinion. To each their own, but if it's my child, I would want to be there for their 1st breath in this world.

[Kieran123]

Pay day.

[Phil McGleno]

You dont know that.-$11.44M is a lot of money.[quote name="cipher" url="/t/77190/you-vote-birth-of-child-or-big-payday/18#post_1055330"] Attending the birth of your first child is a life changing opportunity.  He will make more money.   [/quote] I bet if you asked the kid if she wished his father had been there for his birth but she would have to work the rest of his life or if he could reverse those situations he'd take the latter choice. $11.44M buys a lot of quality time with your family. He can be picky about his schedule and be home for more stuff rather than playing 30 weeks a year-For example.

[cipher]

You dont know that.-$11.44M is a lot of money.

I bet if you asked the kid if she wished his father had been there for his birth but she would have to work the rest of his life or if he could reverse those situations he'd take the latter choice. $11.44M buys a lot of quality time with your family. He can be picky about his schedule and be home for more stuff rather than playing 30 weeks a year-For example.

I am not saying it is about what the child remembers, it is about how much value you place on those memories with that child coming into the world.  Everyone is different I guess.

It also turns a lot of kids into little brats.

[Lihu]

Wow, I'm in the severe minority with "watching baby getting born".

Plus, there is still an "if" involved as I understand it.