Jason, Lineman, 42 Colorado Springs, CO

My name’s Jason. I was married once, now divorced, and I’ve been a lineman almost 15 years. I usually take “storm call” and travel to other states during emergencies, like bad ice storms, and hurricanes, because it pays more. Even with that, I’m still not breaking even these days. The time away is unpredictable, but if I don’t do it, I’m barely making enough to cover my own expenses. It was during one of those long stretches away that I noticed the cell phone bill didn’t look right. Same number, over and over, late at night. I dug deeper, read the messages, and my stomach turned. When I got home, I asked if we could go to couples counseling. She refused. A week later I was holding divorce papers. When it came to custody, I had to make the impossible choice, quit taking storm calls and not make enough to cover child support, or keep doing them and lose joint custody. Now I only get the kids every other weekend, and that’s only if I’m not away on a job. She’s working too, but that doesn’t change the math. She’s in a new SUV. I’m wondering if I can keep my work truck from being repossessed.

Eli’s Response: Jason, this isn’t just your story, it’s the story of countless parents being forced into impossible choices by a system that doesn’t consider the realities of modern work. We need custody laws that reflect today’s economy and child support formulas that account for both parents’ incomes, not outdated assumptions. No parent should have to pick between earning a living and being there for their kids.