As you know, I don’t have kids, and I don’t want kids, and in fact for most of my life, including now, the thought of having kids made me want to drive a cement mixer over my head. That’s not interesting, I know. But what _is_ interesting is that, from what I gather, there’s a movement underway in which people who _do_ have kids, (especially women) admit publicly that having kids is often not as monotonically wondrous as we’re supposed to officially believe.
I’ve seen a bunch of research debunking the “kids make you happy” mythology, but never have I been more amused by a discussion of this kind than this one by Penelope Trunk, in which she also describes why she hates some internet asshole:
Here’s another idea, David. How about approaching all those guys with Blackberries at soccer games? Let me ask you something. Do those guys check their email when they’re getting a blow job? Of course not. Do you know why? Because it’s INTERESTING. They are checking their blackberries during soccer because soccer is boring. The kids can’t figure out where the goal is. The kids (and their parents) lose interest. They want snacks more than they want to learn soccer. They are cute, yes. But even cute gets boring.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am certain that I would despise this woman if I met her in real life, but by god she writes some funny shit.
Update: the more I think of it, the more interesting the linked post becomes to me; not only for the rant on child-rearing issues, but for the ethical implications of PC destroying some guy’s reputation for years because he pissed her off with a public response to her public tweet. If a twelve-inch-tall person pokes you in the ankle, should you stomp him flat?
Once upon a time, in BBS-land, I tried to destroy everyone who disagreed with me. But we’re not in BBS land anymore. Real people stumble about the online world, and they accrue real reputations, with real consequences. The post is like a real-life lesson in contemporary online culture and ethics. Plus it’s super funny in a roadside accident kind of way. Recommended read.