The topics that we have been discussing these days have been revolving around the upcoming US presidential elections and…babies.
The husband and I are both crossing our fingers that Americans would choose Barack Obama to be their leader to bring them forward in these economically troubled times. I don’t profess to know a lot about American politics but I do know enough to believe that change is truly what America, and indeed, the rest of the world needs. He may be untested, he may be young but I believe that he has the tenacity, intelligence and eloquence to push his country forward into a brave, new world. McCain’s choice of running mate and methods of garnering votes have left a sour taste in my mouth and I fear to think of what the world will plunge into should the duo be installed in The White House.
You may be wondering what starting a family has to do with American politics. Well, it has everything to do with it. A recession is staring at us point-blank and financial pundits believe that it’s going to take some three years before we emerge from it. That’s 2011. A strong and effective leader in The White House may not be able to reverse the situation but it sure can help in speeding up the recovery process.
For the two of us, having children has always been a matter of “when” not “if”. Having grown up with siblings and the extended family, we understand and appreciate the changes that children bring to the home.
But there is just too much uncertainty in my life and the world right now. I still feel conflicted towards my job, although many have advised me to stick with it to enhance my CV. And yet, if I were to start our family next year, the stress levels at the workplace is not going to help. This realisation hit me after the team had put together a bumper December issue in just two weeks. Yes, two weeks of hard work, blood and sweat and tears and yet my boss is still dissatisfied, thinking that we could have worked on the next issue at the same time.
At the same time, I am a little scared of the changes that having a child would bring to my life. Am I ready for this? Can I be a good parent? I haven’t done enough travelling and seeing the world, is it important? Do we have the finances for it?
He thinks that we will never be ready so anytime is really a good time. I certainly don’t want us to reach the ripe old age of 65 and still have to work to provide for the kids. In the car last night, I told him all my fears and dreams and worries and hopes and we talked about it, like adults do. I’m glad that we’ve come to a consensus and am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
This could be The Change We Need.
Yannisms 