Some Thoughts on Various Things

There have been a few things I've wanted to say about a couple different subjects, so here goes.

I've been thinking a lot about gender and personality, the whole nature vs. nurture thing. Granted, nurture is a big part of who we become. And yet, I know there are so many things we come here to earth with, already instilled. I know this from my daughter. I've confessed on this blog that I'm not really girly (except when it comes to 19th century womens literature). I've never been big into purses or shoes, or shopping for that matter. (My friend from High School could totally testify to this. She's the one who taught me to dress as well as I do now, which was a big improvement from before.) I don't even wear makeup most of the time, never really have. So where did my daughter get her girliness? She LOVES shoes. She's starting to want to pick out her clothes. She's starting to wear hats (this morning she insisted on wearing a hat in her pajamas while eating breakfast). The other day we were at the mall acquiring new phones. I handed her my old phone and she insisted on carrying the shopping bag we got with our purchase. So, here's our 18-month-old walking through the mall with a phone in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. And loving every minute of it. (She was so cute and I didn't have my camera. Oh well...) I know she hasn't seen me act this way. So where did she get it from? It's totally her. She came that way. I guess it just affirms to me that there was a pre-mortal life and we were our own individuals there making our own choices.

I've been amazed at the attacks on the family in recent years. Although gay marriage is a part of the movement, I'm not going to go into that. I'm actually referring to the attitudes toward marriage and kids. A few months ago, I read an opinion article in one of my husband's student lawyer magazines. It was on how young professionals should write and sign prenuptial agreements. Why?

A rising trend is that of the "starter marriage," a term coined to describe a short-term marriage (a marriage of five years or fewer and ending without children) that typically occurs in the early to mid-20s and ends in divorce by the age of 35...

Starter marriages? Our divorce rate is still pretty high, but starter marriages? The idea that two young people will get married just to "try it out" so they can do a better job later is absurd! Marriage should be working together and wanting it to work. I know there are some of you with parents or siblings, etc, who are divorced, and I'm not getting on them. There are some pretty good reasons for divorce. I'm just outcrying about the attitude that is beginning to abound that marriage is just as disposable as many of our consumerable goods. Not to mention some looks I get (not all the time, just occasionally) with having an 18-month-old and being ready to pop with my second. But we won't go there.

On another note: the automakers want a bailout too? What's up with all this? Is it Christmas handouts to any company that's "too big to fail"? My taxpayer dollars (and my kids' for that matter) don't need to be compensating union workers' high wages or their bosses' bad decisions. Granted, many would lose their jobs, but that's happened in the past. The economy will recover and new markets will open and those people will find jobs. I've got enough expenses with the cost of living in the DC area, especially the cost of food, continuing to rise. I'm thinking I need to somehow make myself too big too fail so I can get my hand in the pot. Everyone else is.

I'm so ready for this baby to come!