Sandsla...no offense was taken (nor - I'm sure - intended). My intention was to generate some thought about what might or might not be the directions that PA and CW might be taking.
You have obviously put a lot of good thought into your response. I agree with quite a bit of your logic and observations.
I do understand that forums are a way to socialize our thoughts and opinions and (Thank God!) not every opinion nor thought agrees with what I think or you think or "Mabel and Jim" thinks.
Thanks for your contributions....
*I just want to apologize in advance for being so long winded.
Hi smdouglas, I actually think a lot about what directions Albert and his wife could go in, which is why I posted what I did. Monaco has a very unique situation. Of course Monaco is responsible for it's own economy, which Monaco's reputation will factor in greatly here, but I think Monaco can afford to be innovative in ways others may not, because Monaco and Albert are in a position where they are not really beholden to many,
except of course the people of Monaco. In terms of industries he relies on, or who Albert owes his own position to...he doesn't have to deal with a lot of payback, or future votes--he is I think a little more free there. Banking of course has always been the Grimaldi business, but other than that I don't think there is another one source that he has to worry about so much in satisfying other peoples wants and needs. Tourism will depend on him and what direction and
choices he takes--Monaco's reputation and what it has to offer. Albert was very lucky to be left the gift of a legacy that was already in place there--he doesn't have to start from scratch, in fact he could probably have gotten a lot of mileage on that alone still, but he is going to be changing things up now.
Monaco's rich history has a lot for Albert to build on, and I think Monaco is in a position even outside of tourism to be creative and innovative where Monaco can set itself apart and build a reputation in new areas.
But that depends on Albert and his wife's own creative and innovative ideas and
their their ability to implement them successfully and I that that is the deciding factor in which direction Monaco is going to go in. I can think of more than a few specific ideas, starting with a few things that are already on Albert's desk (Creativity is born out of limitation and necessity
). Ordinarily, I could see a wife of Albert taking on some of this as a personal project, but a Starbucks and a shoe shop isn't exactly what I have in mind
. Again what's possible is going to depend on
their own ideas,
their own abilities. In Charlene's case I think her own history or reputation is really going to factor in here for anything she does in the future or tries to attach her name to....that is, in order to be very successful. Just attaching her name (that she cannot alone
bank on) to a project will look exactly like that, and therefore unimpressive and shallow and insincere, and that is what I was trying to express before.
If Charlene had listened to her naysayers long ago and got to work on improving herself and her reputation as a woman with some real abilities other than she can swim across a pool, it might have helped her reputation as just being a slacker. So now swimming across a pool is really the only thing that Albert and Charlene have to work with and even that was long ago? I mean even if Charlene had a little education or a job somewhere in her history where most people learn how to work with other people, and with the public in a professional setting. I am afraid what Charlene's own background lacks and leading up to the present (not just on paper) unfortunately leaves her way under the curve here (IMO) for the real job that a man in Albert's position might have hoped his wife could fulfill.
Diana (who was much younger) didn't have much to work with either, but she had realized when she was young and had visited hospitals in school that she was good at it, and so she built on something she already felt comfortable with and already had a history of doing. Diana also had
a job in a Kindergarten, so working with children was a natural direction to go in for her. Also Diana's upbringing to the manner born probably helped some in how she handled herself. I just don't see enough in Charlene's own background to come up with any good ideas for her, so I think she is going to have to find some new interests if she hasn't developed any. I hope she has more imagination and interests than we've see so far.
In all honesty it's less Charlene's lack of accomplishment and more her attitude about it, that I think is going to be the most telling.
SMdouglas, I agree with you that opinions on a forum or anywhere else, are only that, and it's Albert's own
true instincts (even if I don't think he always listens to them) is what Albert should trust. I just hope he can honestly identify them, and is not just bending for those with other wants or needs and that are not his own. I think he has the ability to
reach high in every area if he just had the fortitude to go for it
and reach!
Also regarding the direction they go in, I think depends very much on the foundation they stand on.