Life impact - an intro

Today I went to the park with my wife and son to celebrate the birthday I will miss in a couple of weeks.  It's Franklin's 2nd birthday on 21st Jan.  Knowing the cricket schedule for the next two years I will also miss his 3rd, possibly his 4th and who knows what I will be doing for the Ashes the year after that.  You don't need to be a parent to know this sucks. 

My wedding anniversary is the 18th Jan. 

Hmmmm.

Reminds me of the last time I toured the West Indies when I missed our anniversary and my wif'e's birthday.  She got me back.

Has it really been ten years since I last covered a West Indies tour?  That catalogue of woe was well documented.  A snapped achilles, a missed plane, being forced to cough up $1400 for a flight I'd already paid for, a cancelled Test match, a golf buggy incident only to come home to the kitchen covered in soot.

The sacrifices we make in the pursuit of a career, the mental anguish of being away from the family, the memories of a tour gone by, the angst ahead of a long journey.  All to be expanded upon.