Apologies for the blog neglect lately. I'd like to say I've been off doing something really important but the real fact of the matter is I got lazy. Oh and the silly season happened. Anyway enough excuses, today I want to talk about a different kind of time consuming venture...babies. Sprogs, offspring, spawn- whatever your euphemism they are a huge part of a twenty something woman's life, even if she doesn't have them.
Recently a friend and I were chatting and she reckons that since turning 25 the subject of babies and when they are going to be in her life is brought up all the more often. Rather than asking about where you're going for Christmas or what you're up to this weekend, small talk suddenly becomes small person talk. Just when I thought it couldn't get any more awkward.
As us girls enter our mid to late twenties, whether we have a baby or not becomes less of an observation and more of a judgement. We are told to go to university, have an OE, start a career, get married and then suddenly drop everything to start a family. If you're not knocked up soon after these tasks have been completed then no bonus points for you in the game of life missy!
Not that this is a new observation or anything. In fact most people think that this is an outdated view what with 30 being the new 20 and all but as my friend (and many other women I'm sure) can vouch for, the prospect of child bearing is still a very real pressure on twenty somethings. We may as well get all Flava Flav on it and wear our biological clocks around our necks to deter any unwanted questioning. “Oh hey there's Sam...oh yes, she's still got a couple of years on her. Good. I won't bother asking then”.
Ofcourse there is the other side of the coin to consider. A woman at work is taking maternity leave soon and so jokingly I said “Man! I want one!”, meaning I was jealous of the time off she was getting. It was like I'd said I wanted to bomb the place. Maybe it's because I'm not 25 yet.
There must be something in the water because just last week another of my coworkers declared she is now 'with child'. No she didn't use those words, I just wanted to write that because it sounds funny. With bump is more accurate really. Anyway, with an office full of women our boss (who thinks that babies are “gay”...go figure) jokes that there IS going to be something in the water soon. On more than one occasion he's threatened to lace the water filter with some sort of liquid contraceptive. Least I won't be getting hassled by him anytime soon.
So yeah, babies. Try as I might there isn't really a resolution to this topic. Consider this entry as more of a warning to those of you verging on mid twenties territory like myself. Get a story and stick to it...or buy a clock.
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