The anwer is, "Yes! Yes! A thousand times YES!!!" Here are the reasons:
1) KIDS ARE CUTE: I mean REALLY cute. OK, so kittens and cute too and they're admittedly a lot easier to take care of, but consider this: a kitten stays cute for a few months. A kid stays cute for 13 years! If you had two kids spaced four years apart thats 17 years of non-stop extreme cuteness!
The picture above is from a sketchbook of drawings I did of my daughter when she was 12 yrs. old (she's older now, away at college) The reason I include these sketches is because I want to show you what it was like to be with her while we waited for our food in a fast food restaurant. This wasn't a special event, we were just waiting for our burgers to come up. Look how eager, idealistic and playful she is, how happy she is to be alive...just like your kid would be. I probably saw her act this way a half dozen times on the same day. It's interesting to think that something really terrible may have happened to me that day but this is what my mind chose to remember, just the simple pleasure of waiting for food with my kid.
Face it, you're biologically hot-wired to like what kids have to offer. Why deny yourself the intense pleasure that nature planned for you, a pleasure that feels so right when you finally commit to it?
2) KIDS ARE NATURALLY WELL-BEHAVED: it's true! The kids you see throwing tantrums in the mall aren't doing what your kids would do. They yell like that because their parents won't answer them unless they yell. You wouldn't do that would you?
I used to hate kids. In a way I still do. But you won't hate your own kids, I guarantee it. Your kid may be normal and unexciting in the eyes of strangers but for you, with the wonderful blinders that nature provides, they're endlessly fascinating. Endlessly! It's all you can do to take your eyes off them!
3) KIDS ARE CHEAP TO RAISE WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG...as long as they're healthy, which they usually are.
4) KIDS ARE PROFOUND: or at least they're good at provoking your own deep thoughts. If you haven't had kids you can't begin to understand why society is the way it is, why events in history happened the way they did.
5) IT'S SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE: the depopulation movement had the unintended consequence of removing a large number of intelligent, socially responsible people from the gene pool. The world of the future is going to need every person of character or intelligence it can get. My hunch is that they'll be plenty glad to get them.
The downside? Brace yourself, it's big. The downside is that you'll suffer the worst moments of anguish you'll ever experience as you worry about how to get the money to raise your kids safely and well. Good jobs may be hard to get. You may have to raise your kids in a bad neighborhood. It's very scarey. But consider this...
Human beings weren't made to be yuppies. We're the same species that fended off sabertooth tigers in the shadows of glaciers, that took up pitchforks against Vikings. Somewhere within us we have the guts to tough it out. It's in our DNA. It's what we're built for! I like the old saying,"A harbor is a safe place for ships but ships weren't made to rest in harbors."
What do you think?
31 comments:
Those drawings are absolutely beautiful! What I love about them is that I can totally see how happy you both were without having to read your commentary. I love all the drawings of her with the straw in her mouth...they are so natural and they make me feel happy! I would absolutely love to see more sketchbook pages like this one.
What a wonderful article -- and superb sketches. Thanks for sharing them! :)
Lil Pal is 13 years old, and she is still cute. She isn't naturally well behaved though.
See ya
Steve
Love the blog, love the sketches and the sentiment in this post!
(I love our almost 2 year old daughter too. Life started when she was born! Although I must say it's very difficult to get through John K's Animation Lessons with a toddler about. She thinks all the cute cartoon characters (and especially eggs with cartoon faces on them) from the Blair book are for her to play with!)
There are too much people in the world already! Ok, we can have kids, but it would be nice if there was a limit to 2 kids per couple (so population would stop growing), unless you live in Canada or Hungary. Poor people should be educated to have less kids, specially. I don't know about the US, but here poor people have like ten kids! That means they can't even afford to put those kids in school or feed them all. And then you'll have three years old breaking rocks at some mine and breathing dust that will kill them before they are 40.
I beg to differ on the kiten remark. A cat I had until recently stayed cute all the way up to her 18th birthday. But then she developed a tumour in her head and slowly died.
I certainly don't have kids of my own (still single even) but I am a part of a large Catholic family. Believe me, there's always a certain amount of little kids running around at least every Christmas, Easter, or wedding.
Oh, I forgot to mention this: the main reason our cat stayed cute for so long was because we had her fixed right when she hit puberty.
Maybe that would work for kids too.
See ya
Steve
Speaking of artists having kids, a friend of mine from animation school just had a son recently. No doubt he'll find a whole whack inspiration from this little guy.
Awww. Those sketches of your daughter are some of the best things I've ever seen you do. Ditto writing about her. I feel like crying--that happy-crying that the wimmenfolk do. *smiles*
--OK, So, what's next? The empty nest-er post? You've just got to have one of those bubbling up in you, I'll wager!
(P.S. I thought you would love "Onions in the Stew" esp. for Betty's recounting of her beloved daughter's adolescence, the chapter called "Adolescence, or Please Keep Imogene Until She Is Thirty"; it just rang so true--and I read it firstg at age 12!--and was hiilarious, how she described the horrifying transition from darling child, loving goofy fun w/prents, reading in bed, playing games etc. to sudden, sullen, Permanently embarrassed and P.O'ed TEEN-hood--only to have the pendulum swing back just as staggeringly when her daughters hit 18 or so, and became "human again". Did you make it that far? Has that been your experience too, with two teenagers? You must have a book in you on this subject.)
P.P.S: how've you been liking the Freddy stuff on me blog? Neat, huh?
Is that the daughter you held under one arm when you used your other arm to drop the realistic looking fake baby at Bob Clampett's house and kick it across the floor? John gave me the honest truth about that story, and I was in stitches. You're a crazy waskilly guy, Unkle Eddie!!
By the way, I love those sketches. Just looking at them made me so happy. Where can I buy some of my own kids?
Hey Eddie! I'm still amazed when you were amazed that I had kids.... I think your comment was something like, "You made it! Uh huh huh huh... Why didn't more people from your class do it???" I do wonder, why does it seem like so many 20-somethings (OK 30-somethings now in my case) still don't seem to think they can juggle the job in the ent. industry & kids at the same time? Yeah - it can be hard as hell, but my kids are the best thing ever. I hate it when I have to go to work - they are the cutest things ever, fer the love of Pete...
Hey Uncle Eddie those Drawings are so beautifull and real i love it ,great post about kidies i dont have kids my self but i got nephews and i love them veryy much like my own children :)
Eddie, that made me cry. Is it natural for a young man to want to be a father so much? Sure, it may be natural to have an urge to reproduce my dna, but I also want to raise and love my children.
What is your daughter studying in college?
Awwwww, Uncle Eddie! Those sketches are so darling, and that post was so sweet, just like you are. :) You can see a father's love in those sketches - very beautiful.
I don't have any kids, but I do have two cats, and they're still cute at 14 and 16.
How old is your daughter now, and what is she studying in college?
This is great great post! I remember and old unmarried cousin of mine used to tell me to my face she hated kids, when I was like 8 years old. It always made me upset. Then she began bragging years later about her nephews saying they're the only kids she's ever liked.
Now that I'm old enough to see what a bitter hag she was, I'd really love to see her again just to tell her I hate bitter old people with a passion.
Anyway, this really is a beautiful post. I love how you say by 14 they're no longer cute though. lol. In a way it's true, because they try to get smart and begin making the transition. I also think little kids are the best natural comedians there is. I've seriously heard some of the funniest stuff from a toddler's mouth. Best straight liners you'll ever hear is what they pick up and spit back out before they have a censor on themself. I think they're all fascinating - loud, quiet, embarassed, attention savy.
Oh, and great sketches! They're definitely a real capture. Seriously, I love your blog Eddie.
Great post, I love those drawings. I have two little ones myself, 2 and 3 plus a 10 year old stepson. Children are great, they're the funniest, sweetest, cutest, loudest, at times stinkiest, energetic, sneaky, fresh, honest, nervewracking, most wonderful beings on the planet, though a big dumb dog is a close second.
Eddie i think you are the most genuine person, damn!
Whenever i see a little redheaded kid i'm like AWWWWWWW
That's the only part i understand, loving through your own ego. is that sick? i dont know. i like the idea of having a Marlo Jr.
Folks, Eddie's daughter draws neck hair.
but that's all i know.
Great post! Fun fast food drawings to accompany such a thoughtful article on the joys of parenthood.
Awesome article. This proves that cartoonists are more insightful than any other people.
Wow! I thought everybody would be at the beach and I could sneak this theory in without anyone noticing! I promise to give a better answer to some of the letters here in tommorow's post!
-Eddie
Eddie, you are quite right about what a gas little kids (especially your own) are! There's a small sketch of my daughter embedded in this mess here.
Well I wasn't at the beach but certainly was out to lunch. Eddie you put into words exactly how I feel about my 9 yr old son. They certainly do make you see the world in a complete different way. And they are so fun to draw :)
You forgot to mention the natural curiosity of children (in comparison with adults). For example, I enjoy employing young children in insect collecting expeditions. Young children are very observant and genuinely amazed by the natural world. With adults there needs to be an ulterior motive (financial, health, social obligation).
LOVE THE POSTS so far, Eddie. I don't dig kids, but I'm sure if I had kid/s, they'd be awesome cool smart kids. And dammit, they'd watch the proper cartoons and movies and read the proper books and comics and listen to the right music.
Also: Am i the only one who can't see the "daughter sketch"? Was it taken off the page?
hey i never posted here! was it that comment deleted and was it another Jorge?
i said teh art psot was borink, not this one.
i like kids, but only if they're beaten.
Sorry, Eddie....I still hate kids. :)
Yer daughter's got s' hairy arms!
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