Kids...The Final Frontier

So Sunday is our 6 month anniversary! I'm really excited, for some odd reason....I'm really not into the whole celebrate a weekly anniversary. Even the word means yearly, not monthly!! But I'm excited none the less, so there!

I ran across this blog entry from an email entry wishing me happy 6 month anniversary. It's an interesting entry, and really makes me think about all those people my age running out and having kids.....for no reason.

My reason to want to have kids? Pat and I are decent people, who get along well, with strong ideals of right and wrong, and being kind and considerate of other people, to make the world a better place, to always have faith and hope, and to love others even if they're bastards. And we could teach our kids to share our beliefs and to make their small slice of life better then it might have been. Orrrrrrr, they could end up like me and be so totally different from my parents it's not even funny.

My reason to not have kids? Pat and I don't agree on religion, discipline, animals around children (ok, not a big one, but still!). We don't know if raising children and the commitmment required is something we're really willing and ready to give. Children are a permanent bond. When they're 18, you still gotta put up with them. I'm really not sure if I can commit to put up with anyone other then Pat for more then 18 years. Aren't there enough children in the world?

What if my child would be born with a learning or physical disability? Would I be able to willingly committ the rest of my life, without reservation and bitterness? I don't know. What if Pat really doesn't want to be a father, but I want to be a mom? Do I willingly have a child, knowing that the father isn't going to whole heartedly be involved and willing in the lifetime process of raising a child without hating Pat, and without becoming bitter and resentful? HELL NO!

What if my child is as willfull and stubborn as I was as a toddler? Could I bring myself to not beat the living daylights out of them? Probably.....but I'm really sure I'd be in therapy for dealing with anger issues! *grins*

Are those not good enough reasons to not have a child? What about....I don't want one? Is that selfish? Can NOT having a child be considered selfish?? Can having a child for the wrong reasons be selfish? What is a non-selfish reason for having a child? Who decides? Cause if it's up to me....I think we all know where I stand on this issue, for me personally.

Just cause everyone else runs out and has kids, doesn't mean I have to!

Isn't my contribution to girl scouts, and Relay for Life, and other community events enough? Isn't taking time for others good? I didn't have the best of childhoods, though my memories of most of it are good, am I required to somehow pass that on? Why?

It's almost akin to the piercing arguement! How is my tongue piercing different then someone who has pierced ears? IT'S NOT, other then one is more socially acceptable then the other...Well listen up "society". I am not required to listen to you, or to allow myself to be judged by the standards you impose on others. You may not like that I don't have, and will never have, kids. But I really don't freaking care.

Thank you.
/end rant :p