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.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~