March 11, 2005
SWF Seeks Answers, Tubal Ligation
To birth or not to birth, is there really any question?

Alright now, so let’s just hash it out; what exactly is wrong with me? For all intents and purposes, I appear a normal woman nearing her 30s – little (ok, no) savings, a graduate degree and steadily accumulating interest on Stafford loans, a growing obsession with the guilty pleasure that is TLC’s Trading Spaces (a sure sign I’m on the very verge of purchasing my own spacious home), with a decided interest in the finer things (read: generic tampons are now a thing of the past). Yet I stand aside my peers, looking right and left, and know that I’m out of place. It’s not the platinum wedding bands or top-of-the-line Passats that burrow under my skin. Admittedly, only occasionally is it the well-placed dormer windows or the 18-year-old’s Burberry bag that nudges me. But answer me this: am I the last woman breathing who has made the apparently unacceptable decision not to procreate?
Life is undoubtedly pretty good. I am becoming a great cook at my leisure. My grocery cart is free of Spaghetti-Os and juice boxes. On any given weeknight, I can meet for coffee or happy hour or a film at 7, or any random hour thereafter. My clothes are mostly free of vomit. I can return a movie to Blockbuster without having to unload a 20-pound bag of offspring so it won’t suffocate in the backseat. Better yet, I have never once had to pause in the family animation section of the store, contemplating the rental of the latest Veggie Tales addition, or its stellar alternative, The Wiggles on Wiggly Safari. Things are that easy.
Things most definitely do not appear easy for the moms in my everyday. To view these creatures in a natural habitat, one need only visit any aisle of a local Wal-Mart on a weekday of your choosing. (I do believe it has been scientifically proven that something in the mega mart air forces mothers to slap their wailing children repeatedly, followed by maternal screaming at an intensity better reserved for impending physical harm, or perhaps, Armageddon). These are mammals that appear haggard and unkempt, the black under the eyes nicely paired with the grey of their requisite athletic sweatshirts. The young members of their brood commandeer large shopping carts to ride up and down the aisles, tossing brightly-colored crap into their buggies despite repeated ass-kicking warnings from the matriarch. These are carriers not only filled with multiple demon spawn, but Hello Kitty paraphernalia, Lite Brites, and Huggies galore. Worse yet, I believe that the mother lode of all generic tampons can be found in the bowels of said carts, just beneath the industrial-sized tubes of Desitin. This is the stuff my twenty-something nightmares are made of.
To be fair, the plight of the working mother appears not much improved. Only these lucky women have the added bonus of having an associate peel dried, puréed carrots from their Jones New York blouses during a critical presentation for the firm. Water cooler conversation of Sex and the City has undoubtedly been replaced by a full recounting of Cassidy’s impressive first use of the plastic potty, perfectly resplendent with accompanying Polaroids. (How sweet it is, Kathie Lee!) Unencumbered friends from the office dodge both your phone calls and your supermarket hellos; don’t fool yourself, they know they can outrun even the fittest specimen who is weighed down by papoose or stroller. And anything more than the spelling of the word sex must be a distant memory; your time, your sleep, your cognitive clarity are never again your own. These moms are lucky to remember how they produced their genetic critters in the first place.
Please note that I am not a total loss for womankind. I am comforted by the fact that I do seem to retain some of my supposedly innate interest in miniature humans. I watch with a degree of envy as mothers and young daughters trade sweet kisses on the lips. I must admit to a certain longing when a mother and child share a wonderfully sinful chocolate-lathered concoction, eliciting a roll of giggles from both (still, I must confess that it’s unclear as to whether my envy is for the children or the chocolate). As of late, the word “family” at times produces a genuine smile. I too, not that hardened, would love to share a bond most certainly greater than anything I have ever experienced.
That said, I’m guessing my decision may be less than a firm one. It seems only fair to concede that someday the sight of my pregnant belly may bring me more joy than panic (and nausea, and despair). The sound of my toddler trying out a new psychomotor skill by slamming toys (or the family dog) on the hardwood may be music to my ears. For now, though, I’ll watch moms through their dormer windows, platinum wedding bands eclipsed by the sleeves of those oversized Redskins tees, while I recline on my clean sofa, savoring both a glass of wine and the sacred silence.

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14 Comments:

Blogger do you get jokes? said...

Aw come on... It's not like there is anything really wrong with the veggie tales, but why watch them? I'm with you kris, kids are cute for 5 min untill they start moving and/or talking. If I have to go to another baby shower I might vomit.

Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a brilliant post. Great website too, by the way!

Blogger missbhavens said...

Oh, I hear you loud and clear. My time is mine and no one elses, if there are Spaghetti-Os in my cart they are for me, I don't have to endure the Veggie Tales (I'm sorry, I know kids love them, but religious stories acted out by asparagus is just...it defies words) and I am not responsible for the emotional and psychological molding of a little human being. And it really hurts when you step on those Lite Brite pegs hidden in the carpet! HOWEVER, something in my chest tightened when a man I've been seeing (ok--three dates--whatever) stated emphatically that he doesn't want children.

I guess I flip flip on this issue a lot. Daily. Hourly.

And Lady, I LOVES me some wine in a box!

Nice blog you have here.

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Was this your first post? Surely not, or I'll be SO pissed. Cause it was good, you know.

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you!

I have a **t-shirts** site. It pretty much covers ##KEYWORD## related stuff.

Come and check it out if you get time :-)

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, not all of us wear the requisite grey sweatshirt! Some of us wear black cashmere sweaters. With the requisite vomit stain. Yes, some of us are idiots. But the wet baby kisses are worth it too.

Great post. Very honest. I likey!

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Shop at your favorite stores 24 hours a day. Why go to the mall when you can shop online and avoid the traffic

Blogger joannmski said...

I like your blog. This is a funny post. Even for a mom of 4!

But maybe that's because I'm well on my way to being a wino... Once you get dinner served, time to break out the cab...

Blogger MonkeyLover said...

Oh I can so relate! Great post :) And every day I enjoy my freedom more and become less and less inclined to have my own children.

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great post! Am childless-by-choice and have never once regretted my decision.

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where did you find it? Interesting read »

Blogger Unknown said...

Hey, I can dig it. The child-free life is totally acceptable and I have two kids. Before I found myself pregnant with Christopher (because he wasn't planned, no way), I intended to be one of the child-free. I was, and still am, pro-choice. It's just that once it came down to *me* making that choice, I did something I never thought I'd do. Ever. I'm here to tell you that yes, being a parent is hard. It's really, really hard sometimes. The first few months especially. Time flies by quickly, though, and before you know it they're all grown up. Or, at least, they're ten and six and have been letting you sleep in for a few years. Once that sleep deprivation thing is over, life is good! The mother/daughter kisses (and fashion advice! Sophie ROCKS!), the private jokes, the pure and unadulterated adoration I get from my kids; it's all so worth it.

BUT! There's absolutely nothing wrong with never having kids of your own. Most fellow parents won't agree with me, but I said it. I mean it, too.

Blogger A said...

Love this post! You know...the funny thing is...I googled "vomit stain & sofa" (because I have a 19 month old that I was SO excited about) and somehow Google brought me here!

If you aren't sure about kids--DO NOT DO IT!! I always wanted them and cannot imagine doing it unless you are 120% sure! Boy, do I miss my free time and drinking wine whenever I feel like it (without someone grabbing at the glass and saying "mommy's juice"!)

Anonymous Anonymous said...

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