Still Pissed

Don't get me wrong. I woke up this morning giving thanks. It's a beautiful, sunny day in the east bay. Beautiful blue sky and wispy clouds. My 7:30AM concall was cancelled so I was able to sleep in a bit, and because of that, I was able to wake up in a house that was considerably warmer than the previous day's wake up situation. The weather is perfect - a bit cool, but not uncomfortable and the sun is just bright enough to warm your skin and make you appreciate nature the way it's supposed to be appreciated. :-)

I chuckled a bit at myself for yesterday's rant, and even applauded myself for being a self-sufficient woman. How many women out there can say they've done a good job at integrating both their masculine and feminine qualities? How many *men* out there can say they've developed their emotional side successfully?

I'm still perturbed a bit at the way society has changed 'tho. The lines of masculine and feminine design are so blurred now that it's often frustrating trying to navigate in the dating field. I'm all for equal opportunity, but at what price?

On one of our drives between NYC and DC, my friends and I somehow got on the topic of our roles in society and our views on family and having children. To what extent would each of us compromise, how much would we "sacrifice", to what degree do we *really* want them, and how we would raise them, etc. I made a statement about the bay area, in that I know a lot of people out here who want children, but then hire a nanny and are never around to parent their child. I find that incredibly selfish, to which JC and CT (the "questionable" couple) said they found nothing wrong with that.

Ok, is it just me, or did I miss something? Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate how much time and effort it takes to raise a child, and I'm all for hired help and family to assist in the process, but you see so many people out here who don't really know their kids because they are too busy running from meeting to meeting. Why have kids if you aren't going to parent them? Isn't part of having a family so that you can impart some of yourself, your heritage, your culture, your beliefs into them? And isn't part of the reward knowing that the effort you put into them will result in (hopefully) a person of good quality and character? Can you really "take the credit" knowing that nanny Ann was the one who *really* raised them?

Then I look at all these parents who are shuttling their kids between play groups, foreign language classes, team sports, and piano lessons. I can understand the fact that we want the best for our children, but children are just that: children. It's a sad day when kids can't just go knock on their neighbor's door and ask if their friend can come out and play. It's also sad when kids just can't be kids. Let them eat dirt and play in the mud. That's what they are *supposed* to do. There will be plenty of time to "grow up" and to have "adult" concerns.

I really have a lot to say about raising kids these days, and about the male-female role changes, and about the challenges of raising a family.

*sigh*

Is it just me, or does this disturb you too?

More posts on said topics to come, for sure. Lucky you! ;-P