I don’t think it’s a good idea to add anymore children to the population of the United States. Maybe even the world. But since I can’t possibly achieve that vision globally, I’ll just let it simmer locally and perhaps cause a few people to re-think the idea of having children or adding more to their existing brood.

The world’s not in very good shape right now. Economically and physically, the planet’s becoming a difficult place to navigate. Global warming, whether caused by human engineering or natural cycles of change, threatens to alter America’s ideal of both civilization and architecture. That means that traditional ways of living and dealing with our environment are on track for radical alteration and the kind of lifestyle you imagine for your child as they grow could be more of a struggle to survive than their lust for a life worth living.

I’ve never had children, but for reasons of my own than those of the world. For much of my life, irresponsibility led me down paths that forbade any involvement in caring for anyone other than myself. At least being irresponsible made me responsible enough not to throw caring for children into the mix.

But I see these kids and their parents in the supermarket and I wonder what the adults must be thinking. Maybe like all Americans they figure if things get too nuts for the kids as they enter the adult world, someone will ride in wearing a white hat, riding a white horse, and save them from the misery I suspect waits right around the next bend. The dollar is drowning, China and Europe loom as the next great economic powers, and capitalists have pretty much sucked and exploited all of America’s natural resources in an orgy of greed and financial gain. And now they’re ready to move on to the ripe opportunities blooming in the gardens of Asian economic growth, leaving behind a desolate and ruined American landscape.

Think about the possibilities before you and your significant sperm or egg donor decide on a little late night procreation. The result of your lusty tussling might not find the world the Disneyland of possibilities you grew up with. I wouldn’t want the responsibility of bringing kids onto an American stage that’s beginning to fall apart. That would be irresponsible. And trust me, I know a lot about being irresponsible.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 28th, 2007 at 9:06 am and is filed under Stuff I know, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.