"I'll never get married and have kids..." or So He Says

[PuppetMaster]

Its 11:00 AM. I wake up with a hangover to find some random naked gorgeous blond laying next to me. Im young, make $80/hr having fun, as I drive away in my Mustang I think that it doesnt get any better than this; I can do anything, I am invincible.
This is my life right now.

But lets say I fall into the marriage trap. Then Ive got some little brats to worry about, and the wife gets old and fat. Then Im reaching for a paper bag to put myself out of my misrey.

OR

Am I missing the bigger picture? Is marriage and children the sacred goal in life that is potrayed on TV? My parents were miserable, my friends parents were miserable. So whats the deal?

[stripsqueez]

i never used to have anything against marriage but i never saw any reason to do it - i've been in a "marriage type" relationship for 15 years with someone who feels more or less the same way - as a result of that history i am now anti marriage

as for kids - i have the complete set - they are code for sacrifice - my daughter was a pooh smearer when she was about 2 - very unfortunate behaviour - twice i was the one who discovered her after a daytime nap covered in her own faeces together with the cot and reachable wall - she loved it - as was explained to me this was not abnormal behaviour for a lot of kids - from her point of view it was like readily available warm stinky play doh - cleaning it up was a difficult task taking about 2 hours

my son has recently been through a klepto-maniac phase - he has just turned 4 - as i walked out of the chemist with him a few weeks back i noticed one hand stuck up his shirt and a bulge in his chest - "Eli ! have you taken something from the shop ?" - "ummm, no" - this would be the 5th or 6th time i have walked back into a shop with Elijah and explained to the shopkeeper that he is in fact demon spawn

i view life in a different perspective since i became a father - tough, awkward things seem terribly simple now - i'm cooler in a crisis because i have them almost daily - i cant imagine anything that will give you a truer grip on life and wisdom than parenthood but its a truckload of work and sacrifice

dont listen to people who reccomend parenthood to you - its like that syndrome of reccomending bad movies - trying to explain parenthood is like trying to explain what eating a walnut is like to someone who has never eaten a walnut - your only real chance of understanding is to do it

i think choosing not to have kids is a sensible and brave choice - i wouldnt choose it knowing what i know now but often its a close thing...

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[Vehn]

You need some angsty Fight Club quotes to make this post complete. You were close but not quite there.

[andyfox]

You're probably not going to believe this, but poker and gorgeous blonds and Mustangs lose their appeal. For some soon, for others later. Or, rather, they lose their appeal as the only important things in life.

Yeah, the woman laying next to me when I wake up is almost as old as I am, but she's even more beautiful now then ever. You have to be lucky to find that woman, and for her to find you, and kids are a lot of work, but there's nothing that beats the rewards.

You have to grow old (or at least you do if you're lucky), but you don't have to grow fat. And you can still have the mustang. And poker.

So that's the deal. At least from the perspective of this old fart.

[PuppetMaster]

[ QUOTE ]
You need some angsty Fight Club quotes to make this post complete. You were close but not quite there.

[/ QUOTE ]
You know that Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club is actually gay, which brings some whole new symbolism to it all.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
my daughter was a pooh smearer when she was about 2 - very unfortunate behaviour - twice i was the one who discovered her after a daytime nap covered in her own faeces together with the cot and reachable wall

[/ QUOTE ]

Too much information.

[pretender2k]

I am really in turmoil on this subject. I love my wife and kids but they met my expectations like a pair of aces. Sometimes they are everything I expect and more and other times I just wish I never got them in the first place. Whatever hand you are dealt make the most out of what you get but don't expect more than it is worth. Somedays the comfort is worth everything I put up with others I want to be willing to risk it all for a bigger pay off.

[Festus22]

Kids open up a part of the human experience that you didn't know existed. And it's impossible to explain. It's also a path that once you start on, there's no turning back. I can't really add much more without a common point of reference.

One more point. Remember the first Star Trek movie where V-ger asked "is this all there is, is there nothing more?". Are blondes, Mustangs and poker enough to define who you are and satisfy you for the rest of your life? I think only you can answer that question.

[superleeds]

[ QUOTE ]
Im young, make $80/hr having fun, as I drive away in my Mustang I think that it doesnt get any better than this

[/ QUOTE ]

When I get home from chit day at the office and my 13 month old daughter runs to the door with a huge grin on her face, arms raised waiting to be hugged you realise it does. Having said that, there is no hurry. Appreciate what you have now, it won't last forever.

[Homer]

But lets say I fall into the marriage trap. Then Ive got some little brats to worry about, and the wife gets old and fat. Then Im reaching for a paper bag to put myself out of my misrey.

This statement makes me feel sorry for you, random naked blond, money and all.

-- Homer