more of the same and a related topic
Pat Wilson
> the reasons for not wanting to have alot (or a few kids).....So, I have a
> general question for women out there....Are there any of you who are willing
> to have more than two children?
>
> _Glen
> ihnp4!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!fuji
Well, I *think* I'm willing. I'd like four - this might be an overreaction
to being an "only" myself, though. I'm not (as yet) married, and I am
traditionalist enough (or something) to want to do things in the _usual_
manner (marriage, then kids). So it might be awhile - meanwhile, the
biological clock keeps ticking.
Also, I'm trying to be realistic. I only want kids if I'll be able to
stay home with them (for as long as I can stand), so that means a good
income, and a participating partner. I might find out that after one
or two it's more than I can handle. I may not be able to have any at all
(in that case, I'll stick to horses and dogs).
Life's uncertain - that's half the fun.
Pat Wilson
UVa Medical School
UUCP: ...!cbosgd!uvacs!krebs!paw3c
...!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!krebs!paw3c
CSNET: krebs!paw3c@virginia
olson
>...
>> the reasons for not wanting to have alot (or a few kids).....So, I have a
>> general question for women out there....Are there any of you who are willing
>> to have more than two children?
>>
>> _Glen
>> ihnp4!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!fuji
>
>Well, I *think* I'm willing. I'd like four - this might be an overreaction
>
>UVa Medical School
>UUCP: ...!cbosgd!uvacs!krebs!paw3c
> ...!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!krebs!paw3c
>CSNET: krebs!paw3c@virginia
Um, ah, one question ...
Is it necessary that all these children be made by you? Would you be willing
aquire some of these children by adoption?
Since I find this to be a fairly serious point, let me back up to the
beginning. In my own ruminating on families, I have felt that given the
right cicumstances (ie. adequate economics and the ability to help all the
people involved be 'nice' people) large families can be pleasent. On the
other hand, there are really a rather lot of people in the world, and I
shudder to think what it will be like when I'm 65 or 75. If you think
that some of our elderly have trouble getting by now, think what it might be
like in your old age. (being crowded out by the young ones)
Thus, I find that I can generate with in myself two quite strong desires,
one to have a large family and one not to. In occasional conversations with
other people I have found that they tend to come out for one or the other
position. (Of course there are many other reasons to take a stance, but
I'm trying to keep things simple for the moment, and I don't think this
limit will effect what I'm going to say.)
Fortunately, like most dilemmas I have come across (especially those
with large emotional content) they are only apparent. After some though
it occured to me that by simply changing the way one aquires a large family
the conflict disappears. Adopt. Then you can have a large family
without increasing the number of people around (and you might even help some
child have a better life then it(=he/she) might have otherwise).
Of course there are problems with this view.
1) We can't all adopt, where will the babies come from?
I don't seriously think this will ever be a problem.
If it is, we can explore other life styles, such as tribes
to fulfil our emotional need of large family groups.
2) We don't want to raise any children we haven't made ourselfs.
At the moment I'm more likely to shed heat than light on this
so I'll let it pass.
3) There are probably other problems ...
Let me end with a (possibly selfish) plea. As you look for a way to
satisfy your emotional needs (an important activity) please try to find
solutions that take account of (possible unpleasent) constraints. There
are a lot of people in the world, and if every one out there makes more
than 2, they are going to make my life very unpleasent eventually
(if not make their own unpleasent). If not this generation, then next.
(Of course you ask, what about me. How many kids do I have, or will
I have. Well, chances are I never will, 'cause I still haven't
learned how to relate to others in a close way, let alone in
a way to put me on a marrying footing with anyone. None the less
Should I have kids, I will try to produce only one. If by some
chance I should produce two, then it is time to have a vasectemy
(?sp?) If more are desirable then I'll adopt.)
Todd Olson
ARPA: olson@lasspvax -- or -- olson%lasspvax.tn.cornell.edu@cu-arpa
UUCP: {ihnp4,allegra,...}!cornell!lasspvax!olson
US Mail: Dept Physics, Clark Hall, Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York 14853-2501
(At most one natural child per couple world wide until world population
is below 750million then at most two.)
--
Todd Olson
ARPA: olson@lasspvax -- or -- olson%lasspvax.tn.cornell.edu@cu-arpa
UUCP: {ihnp4,allegra,...}!cornell!lasspvax!olson
US Mail: Dept Physics, Clark Hall, Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York 14853-2501
olson
>In article <6...@uvacs.UUCP> m...@uvacs.UUCP (Pat Wilson) writes:
>>...
>>> the reasons for not wanting to have alot (or a few kids).....So, I have a
>>> general question for women out there....Are there any of you who are willing
>>> to have more than two children?
>>>
>>> _Glen
>>> ihnp4!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!fuji
>>
>>Well, I *think* I'm willing. I'd like four - this might be an overreaction
>>
>>Pat Wilson
>>UVa Medical School
>>UUCP: ...!cbosgd!uvacs!krebs!paw3c
>> ...!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!krebs!paw3c
>>CSNET: krebs!paw3c@virginia
>
>Um, ah, one question ...
>Is it necessary that all these children be made by you? Would you be willing
>aquire some of these children by adoption?
>
>
>Todd Olson
Gak! I just had an after thought. Maybe you all were aware of the things
I said and had planned to adopt. I was assuming that your initial response
to 'I want a large family' was the same as mine, 'have lots of kids'.
My apologies for making unjustified assumptions about your potential
future actions.