"HEY BOB!" BUILDING MARGIN IN YOUR LIFE
In his book, The Short List: In A Life Full of Choices, There Are Only Four That Matter, Butterworth tells of the time when he came home to his family after another weekend speaking engagement when his then youngest son decided to start talking at the Monday evening meal.
'Hey, Ma!' were his first words. Then, turning to Bill, he said 'Hey Bob!' Butterworth was stunned. Says Butterworth, "His mom and I looked at one another blankly. She broke the silence by saying somewhat facetiously, "You've been on the road too much."
The encounter left him to realize that all of his weekend trips (he was booked at one point to speak 38 out of 52 weekends) plus his 50-hour workweek had created a situation in which his youngest child was becoming a stranger. He made some changes but a divorce eventually (and unfortunately) took place. But it forced him to ask this question, 'How Will My Children Remember Me?'