Parents...
Watching some parents lately has really disturbed me. This weekend while we were at the pool with Bryan and Colleen, we saw a boy (probably about 10 or 11 years old) with a beach towel bearing the image of a topless woman. He was showing it to a larger group of about 12 boys, all in the 8-14 age range, and they were all giggling about it.I thought to myself, "Man, that kid's parents would be so upset if they knew he had that." But then I saw him walk over to a woman, presumably his mother, who wrapped him up in the towel, leaving the topless woman's umm... assets (?) exposed on his back.
This experience left me with two contradictory feelings. The first was, "I never want kids! They'll be growing up with kids like these..." The second was, "I have to have kids. Otherwise our world will be run by porno-towel kids."
Although Steve and I both agree that kids are a far-off prospect (like picking a retirement home or choosing an arthritis medicine) I can't help but worry what kind of world they will grow up in. Will my kids learn that a woman is only worth her cup size? Will they learn to hate people of other religions, races, socio-economic statuses or lifestyles? Will they believe that as Americans they are superior and deserve to consume far more than their share of the world's food, water and energy resources?
The responsibility that comes with helping a child become a thoughtful, honest, interested and caring individual seems quite overwhelming at the moment. I have an infinite amount of respect and admiration for parents that work towards this goal every hour of every day. Parents who get their kids beach towels with stripes or fish or flowers.
posted by Rachel at
2:33 PM
3 comment(s):
For the longest time, I thought I hated kids (unless of course we were related). Going to the park with my nephews, there always seemed to be some punk kids with no respect for anyone. I later realized it was their parents fault. Sterilization seems like a good option for some. Preaching abstinence just doesn't work for those who value pornographic beach towels.
By
Steve, at
5:26 PM
[insert best friend obligatory comment here]
much love.
nate.
By
Anonymous, at
8:15 AM
You are beginning to understand the lengthy conversations Mom and I had before starting our family. I keep coming back to the apostle Paul's notion of being in the world, but not of the world. I know that we are in agreement that the best decision we ever made was to go ahead and have children, confirmed by the fact that you and Rebecca are those children. You managed to withstand the peer pressure that I know was omnipresent while you were growing up, and I hope that knowing that you are truly loved helped with that. If such is the case, then you and Steve will end up with children just as wonderful and marvelous as ours.
By
Anonymous, at
10:58 AM
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