It occurred to me this week, while re-reading my PCOS book before my scan next week that, although it is true that most of the developed world now does live in a continual state of feast from a nutritional point of view, we have a new state of feast / famine to face up to in the 21st century: financial feast / famine. With no more jobs for life, the only certainty being that the technology of today will not be the technology of our standard working lives in 10, let alone, 25 years' time (when we will be retiring), and the ever-present threat of redundancy (no matter how many hours you put in or qualifications you gain), we middle aged, middle class, middle income -ers have to prepare ourselves for periods of financial 'feast' and 'famine'.
So, what can we do about it?
Miminalist living? Yes, but, as illustrated by David Mitchell in one of his latest podcasts, that can backfire as we all end up buying cheap furniture that needs replacing every 10 years rather than the 40 year life expectancy that the furniture our parents bought could enjoy.
Avoid unncecessary financial risk? Yes, but we still have to feed and clothe our children, fund the fuel to run them around (in our attempts to give them the confidence and broad upbringing to try to ensure that they have a wide enough skills base to weather out the employment markets of the future), and keep up to date with latest technologies.
Save during times of feast to fund the times of famine? Yes, but with current interest rates ...?
For me, and the other 1 in 10 women with PCOS, I'm just hoping that the basics for evolution may apply here. As you may know, PCOS is a genetic-based disorder associated with infertility. How can such a thing exist? How would women with PCOS ever have managed to pass on their genes to the next generation if they had trouble conceiving? It is all to do with our ability to put on weight and our raised testosterone levels. So, if I am lucky enough to 'manipulate' a condition that evolved from a need to adjust to nutritional feast and famine, I reckon that I, and the other x million women successfully managing their PCOS symptoms, should have a pretty good chance of dealing with the new feast / famine phenomenon.
So, what can we do about it?
Miminalist living? Yes, but, as illustrated by David Mitchell in one of his latest podcasts, that can backfire as we all end up buying cheap furniture that needs replacing every 10 years rather than the 40 year life expectancy that the furniture our parents bought could enjoy.
Avoid unncecessary financial risk? Yes, but we still have to feed and clothe our children, fund the fuel to run them around (in our attempts to give them the confidence and broad upbringing to try to ensure that they have a wide enough skills base to weather out the employment markets of the future), and keep up to date with latest technologies.
Save during times of feast to fund the times of famine? Yes, but with current interest rates ...?
For me, and the other 1 in 10 women with PCOS, I'm just hoping that the basics for evolution may apply here. As you may know, PCOS is a genetic-based disorder associated with infertility. How can such a thing exist? How would women with PCOS ever have managed to pass on their genes to the next generation if they had trouble conceiving? It is all to do with our ability to put on weight and our raised testosterone levels. So, if I am lucky enough to 'manipulate' a condition that evolved from a need to adjust to nutritional feast and famine, I reckon that I, and the other x million women successfully managing their PCOS symptoms, should have a pretty good chance of dealing with the new feast / famine phenomenon.
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