Baby Maybe And The Anthropocene

With everyone popping out babies left and right, Evan and I have been asking ourselves if we want to keep the IUD in place or try our hand at the parental lottery.

This summer found us independently wondering, “Why wouldn’t we say yes to the possibility of expanding our notions of love?”

Then time around families with young children had us both thinking, “We’d have to be batshit crazy to choose this!”

Now, ensconced in a gringo retirement community, the primary factor coloring the baby maybe question for me is, “How could we possibly justify bringing another human onto this earth?” The planet needs another child like a donkey needs a life jacket. What are the ethics around giving birth during the sixth mass extinction in geologic history?

I think I understand (parents would no doubt disagree) the magic and allure of life’s greatest adventure (parenthood), but how can I embrace this compelling experience in its traditional form given our current and remarkable context?

I wish there was no choice, no guise of personal agency in the matter. I know and have always known that Evan and I will rise to the occasion whether or not we have kids and welcome whatever life has in store for us. I’d rather be responsible for how I play the hand of cards we’re dealt than decide if the birth control card should stay in the deck. 

I may be too much of a kid myself to don this pair of grownup pants without necessity as a motivator.