Well, then. (Part 7,842)

[featherynscale]

While we were at the movies on Saturday, my father called and left a message on my voicemail. The recording quality was not great, but I was pretty sure he said that I should call because my sister had had a baby. And I thought to myself, "Self, you just saw said sister, and she didn't look pregnant then, so that can't be right." And then I thought further, and determined that when I "just saw" her was actually at her wedding, last June. This line of inquiry led quickly to "Dammit, that's probably true then."

So I did what I normally do when I don't want to face up to things. I didn't call back. My state of engineered ignorance lasted until this morning, when I got an email from my father. As it happens, I did get it partially wrong. She's having the baby in May.

Now, my sister is an adult, and can do whatever she wants. But she was in school, studying to be a veterinarian. She loves animals, and has her whole life. Ever since she could form concepts about careers, she has wanted to be a vet. Her whole life, she has wanted to be a vet. And she didn't have that much more school to go. Guess what's not going to happen now.

But it's okay, I'm told, because her husband will support her. She doesn't have to finish school and go on to do what she's wanted to do her whole life, because Mike will take care of her now. Daddy took care of her until she got married, and now Mike will take care of her, and her goals are irrelevant. No matter that she was the only one of our generation that had any kind of serious goals. The relatives are thrilled for her.

Yark.

Comments

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

It seems to me a very Southern/Mid-Western thing, this "You must have a child and give up everything else to have any worth" mentality. My neighbors were/are the same way. "When are you going to have any kids? Why don't you have any yet?" They don't seem to accept the answer of, "When the Universe says we can by making it happen. We don't really have that much choice in the matter at this point."

Or is this perhaps a Universal mindset for most unenlightened people to have and not particular to geographical areas? Maybe socioeconomic as well...

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Heh. I get those questions all the time, too. I always thought it was a Southern thing, but they keep reminding me that Missouri was also a slave state. Of course, you're in Kansas, but I think you see my point.

My question is, do they also ask your husband, or just you?

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

My neighbors ask us both. earthmother55 generally just asks me...