hidden function of little ones
SK and I were just talking about kids. Neither of us want any, but kids serve this hidden function and that's what we were discussing. Kids serve to emancipate their parents from their *parents* parents. Kids provide this deeply imbedded, well-understood right-of-passage into adulthood. Once you have kids, you are no longer a kid anymore. Even if your parents keep treating you like a worthless sack of shit who will never make a good decision in its life, at least *you* know you've got something really important, devastatingly important in your life, that *you* created. A whole new person. And your own parents opinion of you is understood with a new perspective. Whereas, those of us who choose never to have children, never cease to *identify* as children in the extended drama of our relationships with our parents. We're forced into a "peter pan" extended childhood, always second guessed and never respected as valuable, independent units. At least by more traditional parents and extended families. I'm sure this isn't everyone's experience, but it seems like a good theory. Any thoughts?
posted by reasonably prudent poet at 10:17 AM
1 Comments:
A scene from my life:
Mom: Andy, are you gay?
Me: Um...well...yes
Mom: (crying) But don't you want to have children??!!
Since the spiritual purpose of a Catholic woman's existence is to breed lots of little Catholics, I understand this reaction. I think you're right on the money. People have kids just because they're supposed to, and people who don't or choose not to are seen as selfish, with meaningless lives. As if it took a whole lot of brains to make a baby or something. It ain't rocket science.
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