Definitely a tough decision. Personal question.

[Tyche]

At 20 I was doing pre-law prepping for law school. At 23 I was delivering a baby researching schools with great secondary ed programs. I went from one of the most difficult educational grinds possible and not even thinking about haivng children -to- intentionally having a baby and discovering that I wanted to be the most rewarding sales-person there is. A person who sells education and changes lives. 4 years. Learn to adapt, take risks, and realize you aren't "all-knowing", ever. Not at 19, not at 25, not at 35, not at 50. Then you'll see how fruitful life can be.

[Lampoon]

Dunno if anyone else has pointed out this, but with a name like yours "OP", mayhaps you take your own advise and become gay.

[Azalee]

Things in life such as getting pregnant always change -everything-. Being 19 and not wanting kids doesn't mean you should assume that you won't want them forever. Use a condom, make long term partners use other methods to prevent pregnancy, and when you get to an age where you really feel like your mind hasn't changed, then look into getting a vasectomy.

I know in the case of my mother, she had my brother at 22, me at 24, and she told the doctor she didn't want anymore children. The doctor almost didn't tie her tubes because of how young she was, but because she already had the two kids he did it.

[Nirokun!]

from one 22-year old lifetime know-it-all: i dont know why ppl who claim to have an ounce of wisdom are getting so frustrated about the posts of someone they feel hasn't gotten "there" in his life. Accept him as someone with room to grow and move on. Nothing you (or I) say is going to suddenly enlighten him--as we all know, nothing but time has that kind of influence.

I rewrote this post like 3 times, then started rambling after. Don't get me started about age-appropriate growth/experience, god = =

[Correction]

I wouldn't feel so incensed about the attitude if Krye hadn't shat all over the thread with his 'rawr I'm young and I know everything about myself and nothing is ever going to change about women or babies ever' screed, based on little more than one bad relationship (POOR BABY). I guess I should learn not to feed the trolls but he is still guilty of Patented Teenage Shortsighted Decisionmaking. Your teenage years are so not any kind of big deal when you have more than a year or two's perspective on them.

[Gafgarionn]

from one 22-year old lifetime know-it-all: i dont know why ppl who claim to have an ounce of wisdom are getting so frustrated about the posts of someone they feel hasn't gotten "there" in his life. Accept him as someone with room to grow and move on. Nothing you (or I) say is going to suddenly enlighten him--as we all know, nothing but time has that kind of influence.

I rewrote this post like 3 times, then started rambling after. Don't get me started about age-appropriate growth/experience, god = =

If I legitimately cared about the person I was insulting then it might be frustrating. Other than that, letting people know how fucking stupid they are is just for fun. That's why I never understood the concept of a troll. It's a little malicious, but if I thought anybody took anything seriously over the internet anymore, I probably wouldn't say it in the first place. The same probably goes for all the people telling the OP that they hope his wang gets cut off.

[arus2001]

At 24, I have no interest in spawning. It's something I thought way back when I was 13 and certainly wasn't in the "girls icky!" phase.

I'd probably get lumped in the lower class, but I wouldn't call myself uneducated. I look back at my life, and while it could have certainly been worse, I have no desire for history to repeat itself for my kid. Nor do I have an interest in being a better parent, trying to succeed where I felt my folks failed. Someone hinted on it being a social responsibility a few pages back, and I suppose that's one way of looking at it.

Otherwise, I've had siblings marry off, pop out kids, and find myself stuck babysitting from time to time. They don't listen to me very well, and it annoys the living fuck out of me knowing this is apparently a lack of conveying the acceptance of authority figures and a disrespect toward me from my siblings. Kids will be kids, sure, but I'm not asking them to do anything complex. Just, you know, behave when I decide it's time to speak up when they've gotten out of line. I guess if there's one lesson I try to impart on them, it's that sometimes you have to compromise. I want them to have fun, to not be bored while with me. On the other hand, when you can't share, people are getting beat up, and voices exceed certain comfort levels, I draw a line.

Does part of this stem from a lack of any meaningful relationships up until now? Maybe. I've seen the girl that wants a baby because she's lonely, though. Not only is that probably the worst reason I can think of, but she wasn't in any financial position to actually take care of said possible kid. Point it out and you're mean, that she would make it work, and so on. Hell, I wonder if she's sobered up since then, but I don't really have any interest in trying to track her down.

So I'm just going to say I'm a cynic and this world sucks. While I can only influence the things immediately around me, I can't change the fact shit like gas $4 a gallon and climbing, unemployment is up, we're like skipping spring and fall for summer and winter, war and continued economic depression is very much a possibility, and so on down the line. I wouldn't call it fear so much as mercy. This is a world where happiness isn't guaranteed even if you work your ass off. I can't, in good conscience, subject a kid to that.

More on subject of the vasectomy, though. No interest in it in the freak chance I somehow get into porn. Can't ruin the money shots, now.

[layoneil]

I think it's pretty sad if the reason you want to have a kid is because you're lonely.

it is sad if that's the primary reason, but it rarely is the primary reason. some people just want more, and children definitely give people something they can't get from other places.

More on subject of the vasectomy, though. No interest in it in the freak chance I somehow get into porn. Can't ruin the money shots, now.

don't think it affects that. most of semen is not sperm and pretty sure a vasectomy mostly only prevents sperm from being mixed with the other liquids that make up the majority of semen. in other words, it shouldn't affect how your money shots look.

[Vuitton]

Your money shot will be all gooey and clear. I believe the actual sperm is what makes it a cloudy white.

[Fhqwghads]

Your money shot will be all gooey and clear. I believe the actual sperm is what makes it a cloudy white.

Wrong.