Roger Federer: on a mission, or lacking drive?

A couple of weeks after Bradley was born, when my parental leave was done, I was dreading going back to work more than anything! I was graciously given two weeks of vacation/family leave, which I enjoyed to the fullest. The day before my return to work, though, I couldn't bear the fact that I would NOT be spending the whole day with my beloved wife and newborn son.

That day came and went, and before I knew it I was back to the grind. Things felt different, though. I knew that my winning the bread had implications which reached farther than ever before.

When I got married, my emotions, plans, and efforts were all shed in a new light: I wasn't just living for myself anymore. I had responsibility for someone else's well-being with respect to finances, spirituality, emotions, and much more. I didn't just need to make sure that I had enough money to buy a new 59Fifty baseball cap every other month and keep the kicks fresh. And this with Kristin being an independant person already!

When little Bradley was born, howm much more did my perspective and responsibilities shift! I brought a new focus and intensity to the workplace. I need to excel at what I do, not just to move up the corporate ladder, but to provide for those who need me. This enthusiasm was interrupted halfway into my first day back.

At around lunchtime, I was getting ready for my daily call home. I unplugged from my work tasks and noticed the picture of my little boy which I had put up at the office a few hours earlier.

Man, that picture is so cute!

Look at his little nose...it reminds me of mommy's!

*sigh*

I called home, and had the usual talk with Kristin. This time, though, there was some background noise I had never before heard. The little wimpers and coos, which I would sit around and listen to for half the day when I was at home when on parental leave, were coming through the phone as if he was right there beside me. And that's all I wanted; for him to be there beside me. I considered leaving work right then and there. My more sensible instincts kicked in, though, and at work I remained until the end-of-day whistle sounded.

When I reflected on the day, I found that my actions had me swaying to two totally opposite ends of the productivity spectrum. At one end, my new boy birthed in me a desire to do well, and to provide for the family. Conversely, all I wanted to do was to be at home with him (and my wife) ALL THE TIME! I've gotten used to daydreaming for 5 minutes every now and then while at work, wishing work days lasted only 6 hours, or that there were only 3 working days a week...isn't it that way in France? Switzerland? One of those sophisticated EU contries found a way to be more productive with 15 working hours a week, I'm sure of it!

Though I know the sensible and logical thing I must do is to remain a hard-working employee, I enjoy my escapes, 5 minutes at a time, a couple of times a day. It's like my smoke break!

With the recent poor performance by Roger Federer at the 2009 US Open Men's Finals, it got me thinking. He and his wife, Mirka, had twins on July 23rd of this year. Reports say that he's been feeling quite relaxed while on the tennis court since then. If this relaxation, though, leads to performances in the finals of a grand-slam event like the one we witnessed Monday night, I don't know how many more slams he'll take home.

Personally, I think Roger's got a lot of good tennis left in him, but I don't think he'll bring the heat the way he used to. He has the record for most slam wins in a career, and now he has a family. His best days are behind him.

Mind you, he's had an amazing career.

What about you? Do you think having kids would motivate one (has motivated you) to perform in one's field to the very best of one's abilities? Or would it lead to a distracted and mellowed-out version of oneself?