180: Idiot Box

[Nick Postagulous]

Originally Posted by ChitownMacTech

The Quietest show yet.
iTunes level meter for KATG #180

iTunes level meter for Curry's DSC #287

Wow, good thing I bought that MP3 player with the VOLUME feature.

[william]

Man, I would have told their mom that they're sniffing paint.

Originally Posted by MichaelG

Yes and Yes, and god yes.

No spare money, to spend on myself, but when you buy your kid something he likes and wants you play with him, Priceless.

So true. And it's amazing how priorities change.

I don't know if having kids is the greatest thing in your life, but your focus can definitely change. Keith, you're right. Kids don't - or may not - become your fulfilment, but they may become your focus. Most of us parents can relate to what MichaelG wrote. I'd rather buy my daughter something that makes her giggle and squeal - even if only for a minute - than get myself something. Her joy means more to me than anything else and when I worry, I worry because of her and not because of me. I will endure anything for her (and my wife's) happiness, for her joy is my happiness. That's true love and it completes me.

Part of growing older is getting closer to the end. When you're twenty you have a lot of time ahead. You can jump from career to career and be an irresponsible fuck. After all, you've got a while to go before time catches up with you. When you're in your thirties the clock's a ticking and once you hit forty, well - if you have a baby at forty you'll be fifty eight when they start college, while you're friends who had their kids in their twenties are attending graduation parties in their forties.

As a parent, I know that there will come a time when my baby may (read "will") hate me - probably around the teenage years. I hope that it'll be short lived. But even when she's saying "Fuck You, Dad!" and I'm equally pissed at her, she'll knows and I'll know that I'll always be there for her. That she'll never be hungry or homeless as long as I'm around. At least I hope so.

So think long and hard before you decide to have or not to have a child. For most of us it's never a good time. You just have to say, "what the fuck" and see if nature can take it's course. But I'll warn you, being a parent should be a second full time job. If it isn't then you're doing yourself a disservice. Your baby will only be a baby once and once past, you'll never recapture that age again. They may not love you any more for spending time with them, but it's like what when I wrote about the guy who goes on vacations and spends his time looking through a camcorder's viewfinder rather than using his eyes - the same way he's missing out on seeing what's in front of him, you'll be missing out on an amazing experience. There are few things that can top having your child hug you with a passion.

It's really not fair to women. I work with so many who decide to put their lives on hold for the sake of their careers and I'm always telling those women who I get to know and who are in their 20s and 30s that each day past is a day gone by and before you know it, you may be 35 and racing to get married and pregnant or you'll wind up being 45 and wondering if it was all worth it. Wondering if you're happy being Aunt So-And-So or Uncle instead of Mom or Dad.

I've seen this happen over and over again to my buddies and acquaintances: they meet a girl whose in her mid to late 30s and wham! Within two years they're married and she's pregnant. And it's always to the shy-guys. I can't blame her - her clock's ticking - but I always wonder if she had more time, would she have married this dude.

In the past children were good for when you're older since they would take care of you. That may be no longer the case, but it's sad being an elderly person and not having anyone to spend Thanksgiving with, New Years with, or send a present during the holidays. This year we're having a close elderly friend of my mother-in-law join us for New Years. She has no one else to call or spend it with. And though I'd rather be out with my wife elsewhere, it's just another night in a series of New Year's with the ones I love and it doesn't bother me to have her over, spend the night, and share our company. She has no one else to spend it with. I've asked her and she's told me, now looking back, that yes, she wished she had a family who loves her and cares for her the way my wife and I love our parents. That's not why you should have a baby, but man! It's an awesome extra bonus!

As your children get older they metamorphosis into adults, but if you're one of the lucky few they'll still be the love of your life and you'll always be "mommy" or "daddy" to them.

I didn't know this until after having a daughter: when your parents want to give you something it isn't so much because they feel you need something; it's more so because it makes them feel good that you still need their help. A "Thank you mom. I don't need it but you know I love you with all my heart!" is all they really want to hear. If you ever do decide to have a child you'll find out what I mean. She hasn't changed who I am or my world view, rather she's enhanced both. I only hope that ten, twenty, fifty years from now I can say the same.

So children can bring joy to your life when they're little and bring comfort and happiness when you're old. I don't advocate everyone having a child, but if you can, and if you think you might want to, if you can afford to do so, if having a child >>won't be a burden to the child<<, then they're nothing more joyful than welcoming a new love in your life and feeling your love for them grow as they get older and knowing that you'll love them unconditionally forever.

From the little I can tell from the podcasts, you two love each other very much. I think you would make wonderful parents.

[Nick Postagulous]

William, the first couple of paragraphs were really well written and moving. I wouldn't know about the rest. I'll wait for the movie.

[LD]

I think William needs to release his posts in several episodes like the Lord of the Rings. It's interesting and well written but I'm too lazy to read that much copy in one big chunk.

[MichaelG]

i agree with Will's 'illiad' post. I am that 40 year old dad. (well forty in Jan) and i think I will enjoy being the old guy when I go to school functions.

Like my brother said 'Kids are great, you will wonder why you did not have them sooner'

[Nick Postagulous]

Originally Posted by MichaelG

Like my brother said 'Kids are great, you will wonder why you did not have them sooner'

Your brother is wrong. I really enjoyed the 13 years of eating out, going to see movies, playing playstation, and having sex when and where we wanted to. I highly suggest everyone take a decade to just date your wife. It's fun. That said, my wife's reproductive system turned into a pile of mush in that decade, but adoption is pretty cool. Probably the most rewarding way to pay lawyers.

[MichaelG]

Originally Posted by Nick Postagulous

Your brother is wrong. I really enjoyed the 13 years of eating out, going to see movies, playing playstation, and having sex when and where we wanted to. I highly suggest everyone take a decade to just date your wife. It's fun. That said, my wife's reproductive system turned into a pile of mush in that decade, but adoption is pretty cool. Probably the most rewarding way to pay lawyers.

I think he was making an excuse because he 'had to get married'

I am proud of everyone who adopts. It takes guts.

[william]

Originally Posted by Nick Postagulous

Your brother is wrong. I really enjoyed the 13 years of eating out, going to see movies, playing playstation, and having sex when and where we wanted to. I highly suggest everyone take a decade to just date your wife. It's fun.

True dat.

Before we had a baby I dated my wife for 10 years before we got married and then for five years after that we traveled, ate out constantly, got nice gifts for all and bought more clothes and crap than we had space for.

Maybe we should have banked a lot of what we spent; sometimes I think so. But what's past is past and we had a great time spending it.

Salud and LeChaim!

[ktrough]

Keith got me totally hooked on Breaking Bonaduce. I have the first 7 episodes so far. According to the VH1 site, there are 12 episodes in the first season. Unfortunately, whoever was posting the torrents has stopped.

Can someone please post torrents for Breaking Bonaduce episodes 8-12 in any of the usual locations or I may have to shoot myself. I'll buy the show DVD when it drops, but for now, I need my fix.

Thanks fellow KATG fan freaks!

-Lord Roughneck has spoken

[drunkenrobot]

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