Just a quick note... but an important one in the evolution of my general outlook on life and the future. As most of you who know me in real life have come to understand, I'm certainly rather unenthusiastic about the idea of having children.
My issues with pregnancy and childbirth aside, one of the reasons I tend to resist the idea is that I've always dreamed of a life of adventuring. Raising a family always seemed to me to preclude the ability to go on wild adventures, for several reasons:
(a) is it really ethical to expose a young child to the risks of an adventure (ie. adventures usually mean taking on all kinds of risks like infectious diseases, wild animals, bad weather, etc)? Or, if you leave the child at home with a babysitter to avoid those risks, is it ethical to abandon your child for 6 months while you go chase a different dream than being a mom?
(b) money. Kids are expensive and so are adventures. How could you possibly finance both?
(c) time. An adventure that could be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time would suddenly take much much longer if you brought a child along. Just think about how much longer it takes you to make dinner for 4 people instead of 2! A longer adventure requires more money, more time off work, and more supplies (ie. food, medications, etc).
(d) weight. When everyone can share the load, carrying the supplies necessary for an adventure isn't a huge hardship... however it's rather impossible to strap a 50lbs pack on a 6 year old and expect them to haul their share of food, water, and shelter. This goes back to item (c), too -- the heavier the packs, the longer it takes to get from A to B.
(e) The kids just might not be interested... or interested enough to sit still on a bike / canoe / horse / sled / etc for 8 hours a day while their parents attempt great feats of endurance. I'm mean, really... what could be worse when trying to ski to the north pole than dragging a child behind you that keeps whining, "Mom, are we there yet??? I have to pee."
Miraculously, however, I have recently found 3 stories of families who have challenged and overcome all these obstacles in the pursuit of adventure. Through their incredible examples, I have decided that children can no longer be considered a reason not to go on an adventure. Therefore, dear Penguin, you are one theoretical objection closer to the possibility of future hypothetical children than before. :)
Story #1: Pedouins cycle to Alaska.
Story #2: The Heuers in Finding Farley
Story #3: Sailing on the Northern Magic
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