Sex, Booze > Kids, God
Out of context: Reply #6
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- Horp0
The kids thing is far more complex an experience than a simple thunbs up / thumbs down could ever encapsulate. Its hard work, its frustrating, it means you have 24 hour responsibilities for the rest of your life that can kill a lot of activities and lifestyle choices that you previously held as definitions of yourself. There is a lot to mourn when you become a parent, but you don't. Not really. Occassional pangs at moments of fatigue or frustration when you might turn to your partner and say "I'd give anything to have the freedom to go on a nice long kids-free holiday with booze and clubs and nothing to think about". Truth is though, you know that stuff can't on forever. Nothing is as tragic as the 50year old partying singleton who looks like hell and has nothing but a drink problem to keep company.
Kids bring a whole lot of stuff along. Messy house, relentless subscription to routine, early morning starts, endless squabbles and upsets to resolve, but you can't evaluate it in a comparison to simple monotone pleasure stimulators like "drinking" "dancing" "sex". Its like deciding which is best between a zoo and a pencil.
Kids are great. Incomparably so. Good life is defined for me by the good humour that can be extracted from the day-to-day. When young and single, that good humour can be found in social stuff, drink, drugs, flirtation, crazy activities, freedom. When you have kids, the good humour comes from places you can't imagine. Its a much richer source of nourishment, more nuanced, ever changing, always suprising, and always magical.
But I'd do anything to have two weeks of my youth back.