I'd like to have children, myself, though I have a rather interesting
stipulation:  At least one of my children will be adopted.  There are so
many children out there looking for a home, and I think at least one of them
deserves a Dad like me.  And as for whether or not a woman will agree to
help--I hope so, though at some point, I may try to adopt a child despite
the rebuff of women.

I don't blame anyone for turning down the responsibility of raising a child.
It takes patience that I'm not even sure I have...though I'm hoping I'll
develop it in the next ten years or so.

Scott

----- Original Message -----
From: K. Salkin <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2003 4:03 AM
Subject: Re: Sterilization (was Re: My Job)


> My mother told me the same thing, not that I wanted to have kids that
young,
> anyway.  I remember when a high school classmate got pregnant, my reaction
> was pity.  I knew she'd be tied down with the baby and not be able to do
the
> things she wanted to.  The shocker was when we found out who the father of
> the baby was -  her minister.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) he was
single
> and so married her.  I don't know if they're still married but I recall he
> had to leave his church and go elsewhere.  It created a big stir in a
small
> town.
>
> Every time I've had a relationship, I've used birth control and have
> insisted my partner use condoms.  They may grumble about it, but I don't
> care.  I've actually had one guy leave because of that; I figured he was
no
> loss.  Any guy who doesn't respect your wishes not to get pregnant or not
to
> get a STD isn't worth keeping, anyway.
>
> I see friends cope with teenagers and the way they are these days
convinces
> me I did right by not having kids.  I don't have the energy or resources.
> My parents were older than the norm (my mother was 35 when she had me and
my
> dad, 40 and I'm the eldest of 3 sisters), and since they were both in poor
> health, they couldn't have helped at all. I have no desire to go it alone
> with a child.
>
> Kat
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Magenta Raine" <[log in to unmask]>
> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, June 02, 2003 2:30 AM
> Subject: Re: Sterilization (was Re: My Job)
>
>
> > My mother drilled it into my head that if I had a baby out of wedlock,
she
> > was not going to help me.  I thought about it later on in my 30's, but I
> > couldn't see bringing another child into this world - and certainly I
> wouldn't be
> > able to pursue a job if I had one, so I  didn't want to raise a kid in
> poverty.
> > AND now that my friends kids are headed into their teens, I sure am glad
I
> > don't have to worry about a teen under my roof. Not just that, I simply
> don't
> > have the energy it would require. And living in Oakland = a teenager,
not
> a good
> > mix.
> >
> > Mom was right.
> >
> > Mag
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > I am available to do writing, editing, reporting, designing jobs,
> including
> > business cards, etc. I am also a disability rights activist.
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>