Recycling lives

A time came in my life when I felt a burning desire to start a family. I had grown tired of it all being about me. I felt ready to pass along the little that I knew to someone else. I was ready to see someone grow, change and blossom. I was longing for a house full of chaos, joy, and laughter. I was game for some good-old highschool drama.I wanted to get excited about Santa coming down the chimney once again. I wanted to see my parents melt as they watched their grand-kids learn to ride a bike.

Only, I saw no reason to make new children. Actually, I never had seen such reason in my life. I did not have an actual wish to get pregnant, nor to go through the birthing process. I did not necessarily crave cradling an infant either, I just knew I wanted to be someone's mom. I saw nothing wrong with my genes and, although the idea of creating a person that would look like me was cute and captivating, this simply was not outweighing the fact that I could see no point in making new children. There were perfectly good ones already made, who could use a new family.

I just strongly felt a preference for recycling lives with all of thier exisitng potential, instead of making new ones just to find out what their potential could be. I did not need another one of me and the world needed it even less. It was not a matter of charity, not it was about fear of childbirth: it was a question of logic. When I see a new house being built, I think of the many that could instead be renovated and brought back to life. I see it as a pity. When I hear about pets being bred and bought, I think of the many awaiting at the shelter. I see it as a pity. The more I thought of making new children, the more I got to the same conclusion. It would be a pity. At least it would be one for me, because I saw it as a waste of an opportunity to adopt children.

I understand that some people havea strong desire to be pregnant or to pass on their genes. I respect it; it is what all animlas are designed to do after all. So, for those people, it is perfectly understandable that they indeed would procreate, even though procreating is not environmentally friendly these days. I am not judging them for this. I love to travel. It is a priority of mine and it makes me feel alive. So, I travel, even though travelling is not environmentally friendly these days. I am not better than anyone. We all have our priorities, which are not always in line with the needs of the environment. We are all part of the problem somehow. Still, we can all choose to avoid what is not necessary for us. It is when people do not avoid what they do not need that massive collective waste of resources happens. If you do not feel a need for a straw, then do not use one. If you do not feel a need to make a child, then do not make one.

Adoption is not for everyone. To some it is even legally or financially precluded. I could adopt and I did. I am talking to those who think they must use thier uterus, simply becasue they were given one. I am talking to those who never questioned making children, simply becasue this is what their parents, community, or religious leaders expect from them. I am talking to those who think that adopting by first choice is a crzy idea, simply because they never thought of it. To all these people I say: think again.

Adopting as a first choice is a small wave, I know. It is not a wave for everyone. It is not for the faint of heart. It is choppy and not so easy to catch at first. Yet, there is lots of room for many more people to ride it. I have been riding it for a few years now and I can say for sure that it has been the most fun and exciting wave I have ever ridden.

If it is true that just having one less child saves as many carbon emissions as 700 teenagers would by dutifully reciclying for their entire lives (Science Magazine, 2017), then this small choppy wave could become a powerful one. If reading this made you pause, even just for one second, then the wave is already catching momentum.