letters
to live by In our new series, we ask people to write a letter to their future selves, giving them the benefit of hindsight. Tony Cronin is a fulltime paramedic with St John and a well- known face in Marlborough.
Dear Tony,
I
didn’t really know I was going to be a Marlburian. At least not until 2000 when my world turned upside down and my marriage of 14 years ended. At that time of my life, I was deeply immersed in the real estate industry. Looking back, I could have spent a lot more time upholding a more sustainable work/life balance (sigh). I was offered a job in Blenheim managing a real estate office. Needing to maintain some sort of income, and sanity, I travelled north from Christchurch, making my base in Picton. I travelled to Christchurch every fortnight to spend time with my children and the trip each way gave me time to reflect on what could have been. Nevertheless, I involved myself in the community, joining Coastguard Marlborough and the Picton Ambulance Service as a volunteer in 2000. To cut to the chase, I am still involved with Coastguard and I left my very rewarding career in real estate and am now in a vastly more rewarding career as a paramedic with St John, entering my 21st year and have never looked back. I am based at the Blenheim station and still spend a good proportion of my time in Picton in both a paid and volunteer capacity. I am currently on secondment to Murchison as a Rural Support Officer for six months. It’s a nice change and I am loving the challenge. I am still spending half my time in Picton so that most people don’t even notice that I’ve gone! Have I learnt from past mistakes to focus on a better work/life balance? No, not yet (bigger sigh). As I draw closer to the end of my working career, I devote more time on reflecting. On work. And relationships. And life in general. Would I make any changes? Hell, yes!! The biggest regret for me is not spending the time to watch over my children in their earlier years. Did they suffer? We all did. And has it brought us closer as they become young adults? Absolutely. In the profession I am in now, your colleagues play a vital part of your life. Firstly, as your crew partners and secondly, as someone
Paramedic Tony Cronin.
you can offload on to especially after those jobs that test you to your limits. I would encourage those who have not yet chosen a career pathway to consider paramedicine. The skills you learn are truly amazing and the rewards are endless. I have plans for retirement. Learn to play golf again. Go fishing. More time at my favourite café … These are not at the top of my list though. I’ve got a bit of catching up to do. And thinking about it makes me smile from ear to ear. I’m going to spend time for me. And my children. And my relationship and friends and socialising. More down time, red wine, white wine, family, did I mention red wine? Ah yes. I’m finally going to get that work/life balance concept working. What have I learnt over the last 48 years of fulltime employment? Earning an income allows you to mix it up a bit but nothing is more important than family. Stability in your personal life will pay huge dividends. The sun will always shine brighter and the happiness generated from within will be your mainstay. Do the best you can and appreciate every day. Am I too late? Never!! Best wishes,
Tony 7
