"Wow! Seaman. Mayaman ka pala!"
"Malaki siguro allotment mo"
More often than not, these are the words I hear when someone new finds out that my husband works as a seafarer. We've been together for 15 years and I still can not find the right reaction whenever someone blurts out these words.
Should I be happy? Should I be proud? Should I be irritated? What should I feel?
People often times see seafarers as if they are a walking, talking and breathing ATM. It seems as if when someone finds out one works on the ship, the seafarers' eyes, to them, looks like a dollar sign.
I remember a few months ago, my husband had new friends requests on facebook. His high school classmates suddenly found his fb page and invites start pouring in. It wasn't bad. We live in the metro so my husband was glad that he was able to connect to his high school classmates, most of which still live in the province.
Just like any conversation starter, asking about my husband's job is the recurring question his classmates ask.
"Seaman". My husband answers.
"Wow. Seaman. Mayaman ka na pala!"
"Ayun! Pwede ka pala magsponsor sa games namin".
This got me thinking. Do people really perceive seafarers as big money makers?
Yes, I admit, there is some truth to that. Top 4 officers do get to bring home chunks of dollars but what people seem to not see is that even captains have bills to pay, family to support and children to put to school.
No work No pay also applies to seafarer. Something people might not know. If they are not working on board, then they are not earning anything. When they're home, the only money they have are the savings they have from working on board and from the allotment. Unless they have other source of income, then, basicallly, that is all they have.
What set me back was when one classmate, one that he hasn't seen or heard from for more than a decade, suddenly asked for a very specific (brand and style specified) pasalubong which costs around $60 or P3000+.
Oh another thing, when they found out that our family is going home for vacation during the Christmas break, they decided to plan a get together -- assigning my husband as the host and the one who will "spend".
"Ikaw taya ha!"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I couldn't believe what I just read. Why?
I feel sad that seafarers are seen as money trees when they get home and is disheartening to realize that others doesn't seem to think that seafarers have families to feed and bills to pay.
Money doesn't come easy for seafarers. They have to sacrifice their time away from family. They have to sacrifice special events. They have to sacrifice not being their during milestones.
They work -- and they work hard. Their salary, big as it may seem, are results of sacrifice, hard work and dedication. Their dollars are results of their families sacrifice -- the sacrifice of the wife, who has to raise the children on her own while their husband is away.
Seafarers did not just pick their money out from a tree or dive their way to a sinking ship for gold. It was blood, sweat and sacrifice that no amount could ever measure.
So NO! Seafarers are not money machines. You can not just ask for whatever you feel like asking just cause you think they always have more.
So No!
Seafarers may have money... but remember, SEAMEN ARE NOT MONEY.
-- Mrs. Sea --
