Mothers of the future… are you sure?
Posted on May 5, 2008
Filed Under Opinion |
I often experience a phenomenon that comes up in a lot of classes. Teacher asks, “how many women in here are planning on being mothers?”
The context of when this question comes up is not important; however, I am usually shocked because almost all of the women in my classes raise their hands.
This, to me, is bizarre. When people ask me that question, I respond with, “I don’t know, I can’t see the future.” It’s like asking if I will have a dog in the future. It’s like… I guess, if the time is right, I have a stable home, and enough time. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair, now would it?
I wonder if these women either interpret the question as how many “hope” to have a child in the future, which I guess would make the most sense. It isn’t guaranteed that these women will find someone to actually mate with, all though, I guess if they really really want a child they could arrange that.
But then even the dog analogy is nowhere near relevant because it’s not as complex. If one has never had a child, how does one know one wants one?
I guess I haven’t heard enough fathers-to-be to compare. But I really just feel like at a time where overpopulation is a problem, a time when our sons will be prone to the forces of dominant masculinity, a time when our daughters will have to fight the oppressive patriarchy we fight, and a time when we ourselves are most aware of the faults humanity imposes upon the earth and its progression… how can anyone who has never had a child raise their hand?
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I would not have raised my hand. Call me selfish if you will. I like my life and my body. I’m not interested in reproducing for the sake of fulfilling the expectations of a gender role which was outlined by crusty old Dicks and Peters.