Decisions decisions...

Today, my husband and I went out for lunch. Now normally, we would park at the handicapped lot near the coffeeshop. But today my husband was driving, and the dark threatening skies made him worried about the rain. So instead of the nearby unsheltered handicapped lot (I legally own a disabled car decal), he opted for the distant sheltered multi-story car park. It meant we could do without the umbrella, but the trade off for a drier experience was a longer walk.

I was a bit upset. We had an umbrella with us, and wasn’t an umbrella meant to keep us dry? In which universe is a longer walk better than a shorter walk? I strongly felt that we should have parked nearer the coffeeshop and used the umbrella. It's like when we buy an insurance policy; it's meant for rainy days. But my husband had a different perspective, and this issue sparked a discourse.

My husband acknowledged that the multi-story car park was further. But he rationalised that because of the sheltered walkway, we would not need the umbrella. Had we parked at the unsheltered handicapped lot, we would have to trouble ourselves with a wet umbrella in the car, which would need to be dried out at home. Not forgetting that even with the best umbrella, we would still risk getting a tad wet. Staying completely dry was his preferred outcome.

My comeback was that that slight wetness, the additional effort to dry an umbrella was less difficult than walking. This might have something to do with the fact that I have a prosthetic leg, which made walking a bit more challenging. But I came to see something.

There are different routes to achieve a certain goal. Each approach has its different costs, different strategies. Each of us may get to the same goal (go home, go to the car), but we have different considerations. And what is important is that the parties need to discuss to understand each other’s perspective.

In the same way, regarding financial instruments, it is less about each tool and more about our needs, goals, and perspectives.

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