Thursday, August 19, 2004

The Kid Thing

Here's the thing. I'm 31. Rolling steadily towards 32. The urge to have kids hasn't hit me yet. I'm not saying that it NEVER hits me, it does. There are times when I'm around cute kids and I think about how my life could be changed by having kids. But, inevitably my inherent selfishness kicks in and the feeling passes.

It's similar to the urge I get to exercise.

Most of the rest of the women in my life are mom or moms-in-waiting. Many of them frequently get baby urges. This is not something I can relate to even a little bit so it makes me feel very very isolated. I wish I had these urges so I could relate. I don't.

I've been told that I have said that I don't like children. That seems harsh, even for me. I don't deny that I may have said it, but fuck it -- I say lots of things. I'm not going to be inviting any kids to go have sushi any time soon, but I do think they are adorable and marvelous and all that sunshine out of your ass stuff. (Hmmm, who's PMS'ing?) I just can't see myself having them around. All the time. I mean, I barely have enough time to take somewhat decent care of myself -- how could I fit someone else into that equation??

I have an ENORMOUS amount of respect for mothers -- for parents in general, but mothers more. There's so much sacrifice that's involved -- it's such a huge commitment in the first place. (Assuming, of course, that one has actually DECIDED to have kids.) You give up your body for at least 9 months and you give up your heart forever. It's huge. I'm too... something to make this leap.

Moms will try to bring me over all the time. I can't understand this. You know what I'm talking about -- because if you're a mom, you've probably done it to someone. Oh, it's different when it's your kid. You love them so much you don't realize the sacrifices. It changes your life forever. Etc etc.

Why on Earth would you want to talk someone into doing something that they're not really that interested in in the first place? This makes NO sense to me. Hey, how 'bout if you just have an extra kid and say it's to replace the one I didn't have? It'll even out. Because if I said that I think that I'm too lazy to have a pet, then you certainly wouldn't be taking me to the SPCA -- but you think this doesn't carry over to actual little humans? Is there more respect for animal life than human life?

Well, not if you ask PETA. But I digress.

I think people just want to see what it would be like to see me with a baby. All the time. I'll tell you how to see that -- bring a gorilla a kitten. It'll be like that.

And yet, despite this enormous rant I say that it's not like I'm saying never never ever. I'm just not any time soon, can't picture it, can't imagine it, don't desire it, don't crave it, how bout let's let it go??

All right.

In our next blog we'll be mocking an anonymous person from my work. Bring your dictionaries, there will be many big words...

-H

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.internet-encyclopedia.org/upload/5/56/KokoKitten.jpg

Heather said...

You know, I was afraid someone was going to point that out when I used that analogy.

But, maybe that's how it would work -- still not ready to find out!

Anonymous said...

You obviously miss the total point of children. Not everyone who has children actually PLANS to have children. Not everyone who PLANS to have children gets a child. Children are gifts of God. Their survival is a gift of God. Your life changes because YOU choose to change. If you do not feel the need to have a child...save us all a lot of trouble and DONT. No one is trying to change your mind. By the way....My child loves sushi.

Cattiva said...

Children are messy. You get puked and pooped on. They stick their slimey fingers in your ear. They pull your hair. They're loud. They take your stuff. You can never take a shit in peace again unless it's at 11 o'clock at night, if you can hold it that long. They're sneaky. And worst of all they will break your heart into a million pieces, hurting you far worse that you ever thought possible.

I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Anonymous said...

Heather, who the heck are these people reading your blog? Don't they know you don't give a shit about God or Koko or...whatever. Right on, I say. I am the same age, have never ever had a desire to have children (i think it was those early acting years -- having to put up with people my age was too annoying). People try to convert me all the time and I'm like, look: Do you really want me to be responsible for someone else's life? I can't even stand the sound of the children playing outside my house. It makes my blood pressure reach astronomical proportions. The part that people who push children on you (or marriage, but I know you can't comment on that now ;) don't get is that someone can be perfectly happy in life without a spouse or offspring. Some people don't know how to be alone. It's not about being lonely, it's about learning to like oneself as one is. Fuck em all, I say. ;) --Chez.

Cattiva said...

Anonymous #2 - I don't see anyone here pushing her to have children. I see comments on her comments. She asked, she received.

Personally, my children are one of the best things that have ever happened to me. But kids aren't for everyone...and everyone is entitled to their opinion. And you'll always know mine, because I don't comment anonymously.


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