My breeding days are long over, Thank God. I've had unprotected sex exactly twice in my life. That being said, being a Dad is by far the most coolest thing I ever did and ever shall do.
Someday I'll tell you about the operation that changed everything. A sack of frozen peas is the leading man!
Now I spend my time worrying about college funds. I finish paying my student loans off just in time to start saving for tuition. TANJ.
I think Carlos Casteneda had it right. When you have children, you cut a big chunk out of your inner light/essence/zen/chi/whatever. It takes a huge piece of your life force to create 'em and even more to raise 'em in a decent fashion.
The crazy thing is, it's well worth it. It's more than worth it. It's not even close. Creating people is the best thing you can do. It's hard wired into us in the most fundamental way.
I'm rambling horribly, I know.
The biggest hit is the first one. Life is no longer about you, it's about her. The strange thing is that this huge sacrifice is perfectly OK. It's wonderful. It's a foregone conclusion that your entire consciousness shifts to supporting and pleasing this new person.
When the second one hits, you think you've got a handle on it, but you don't. The trappings are the same, as is the emotional response. The kid's got the same genetic material. Thing is, she's completely different from the first one. New body, new face, entirely new personality.
And from there you just do the best you can. They ask hard hard hard questions and shit. It's a tough job raising kids. People go nuts doing it. Here's what gives me comfort -- My parents did it and they're reasonably fucked up. I have to believe that I turned out OK. If they can do it, so can we.
If you are committed to doing it right, it's a shitload of work. If you're not committed to doing it right, please don't have a baby. Funny thing is, it's entirely worth it. It's the hugest committment you'll ever make. Bigger than a mortgage even. It changes your lives completely and it creates a brand new life from scratch. That's deep, man, deep.
But when that kid read his first words, you'll know. They'll say something precocious and you'll know. They'll want to learn how to cook and you'll know. A thousand times a day, you will know that you were put on this planet to propagate the species.
My deepest, deepest congratulations. Love and strength to you. Please forgive my drunken attempts at wisdom.