Lynn Morgan is a fantastic journalist, who isn't afraid to express her opinion about anything/everything, which I love.
That said, having read my blog, she shared a few insights with me via email and I begged her to let me share them with you here. She had no objections. Yay!
Here's what Lynn had to say:
As far as your new blog- I am firmly on the side of not to kid. I mean, everyone who has children does nothing but kvetch about them 24/7 and look for ways to foist them off on others and/or use them to get time off of work. I fail to see why going to your kid's recital or soccer game is any more legit a reason to duck out in the afternoon than wanting to catch a movie, or go to yoga, or take guitar lessons, or anything else that is child-free, that adults might find "fulfilling" (I hate the way the Mommy Mafia has co-opted that word). And as far as the "selfish" aspects of a child-free life, I cannot imagine anything more selfish or self-involved than being completely convinced that despite the massive over-population of this planet and the ecological havoc we wreak as a species, that one's own genes are somehow necessary to pass along instead of adopting. I mean, how many of us are so brilliant, so talented, or even just so good looking that we have anything special to add to the gene pool? (Brad and Angelina should have a couple more kids. The rest of us, not so much.) That's my rant on the topic- congrats on entering the debate!
Here's what I have to say about Lynn's comments above...
In many respects I agree with her. Why bring more children into a world that is already over-populated and where there are already countless children desperately in need of loving homes? It's a great question - and one I've pondered over relentlessly.
As far as Brad and Angelina having any more kids is concerned, this is where I must vehemently disagree. First of all, let's take into account that her adopted children are already going to completely resent the hell out of the children borne of Brad and Angelina's own seed... They're going to be drop-dead gorgeous and chances are, never have to really work very hard at anything, should they choose not to.
Additionally, they've got enough kids as it is. This business of serving as a Mother Theresa figure and inspiring who knows how many other lunatics out there to create massive broods of children they can't even afford is preposterous. (Think Octomom, John & Kate Plus Eight, 50 Gagillion Kids and Counting and so on).
Anyway - that's my take on that - but again, Lynn raises brilliant points. When I asked her to post what she'd written, she gave me even more fantastic material to work with, including a quote from one of my heroes, Dorothy Parker:
"Even when I was a child, I didn't like children." This resonated with Lynn because she has known, for her entire life, that she and motherhood were simply, "...not simpatico."
She also shared her thoughts on some of the less attractive aspects of pregnancy including weight gain, veins in your legs potentially collapsing, losing bladder control, unpredictable mood swings, not being able to eat/drink what you want, being unable to sleep on your stomach, possibly losing your libido, etc.
Certainly there are many cons to the actual pregnancy itself. I personally don't find them very attractive either, particularly as I've struggled with weight my entire life.
Lynn also shared her thoughts on the fact that something that only weighs about 30 lbs. can produce enough noise and create enough chaos to drive her barking mad in less than a week. This too is an excellent point to consider. Every time I hear a child shrieking in a grocery or department store, it is worse than nails on a chalkboard to me. Alternately however, when I hear an adorable child cutely ask his/her parents about something especially silly or cute, my heart melts.
I suppose the question for me is - can I handle both?
The last thought from Lynn I'd like to end this post with is the following:
"People who adopt are doing holy work. Period."
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