Kids: Who needs em?

Ok, so after a long day at work (long not because it really was, in a time sense, but long as in, "bored to tears") and on a long drive home I'm listening to talk radio. Yeah, it happens in your 30's - like talking about bowel movements and having serious discussions about "nose hair". Don't ask.

Anyway, the subject is - children. How a study was done, who did the study (can't remember but it's something like Mendline or Mendleson or something like that) I don't really remember since I was swerving to avoid certain death on our nations highways. What I do remember was that the study was with a 100+ family's and that the parents (both) IQ's dropped an average of 20 points once they had children. I have not been able to find anything on the net regarding this study, but I will revisit it once I do.

The host (on NJ101.5 by the way) identified also that she has constantly had friends who have children be of the opinion that, if one doesn't breed, they are a waste of life.

Ok - I have problems with this entire subject matter; twofold. One - who the heck funded a study to identify if having children reduces IQ? Aren't IQ tests relatively lame and unconsistent? (Apologies to the MENSA readers... really.) However on the flip side of that objection, I'm not at all suprised babies lower your IQ. I mean, your major thoughts are about poop, puke and pee as well as trying to sleep at least a few hours a night for the first year. Given the distractions, the urge to speak in "baby talk", the baby body fluids and excretions and lack of sleep, I'm not suprised at all about a 20 point drop in IQ. Heck, after a few months of baby-dom, I probably wouldn't be able to speak coherently let alone try to take a test of any kind.

As for having babies to define my entire existance - I think not. No little bugger (otherwise known as "the gleam in daddy's eye") defines me! I think I can do quite well as a disappointment on my own rather than pass the baton to offspring. Why bring another soul into the world? Is it just to pass along the fatherly advice, buy the baseball equipment, take the pictures and brag at the office. Well, sure that's all part of it. But don't tell me that I'm useless without breeding.

Half the time I think human kind is a locust; a virtual disease that was put on this earth to ultimately find out if we'll kill each other to extinction or actually provide help and spiritual guidance to each other and live to help each other. Most times I'm cynical about the entire thing - killings, bombings, wars, diseases, death and destruction, fire and brimstone right here on earth. Then something happens that changes your outlook - a good deed, and kind word, an innocent child. I don't think children define their parents existance, they are supposed to reflect it and honor it even when the parents have passed on. Children don't define their parents, they complement it.

At least I'm still smart enough to think so anyway.