Posted by Strictly Skewed at 199.199.216.61 on January 21, 2004 at 16:47:23:
In Reply to: What happens when you die poll........ posted by The O~* in Phantoms on January 21, 2004 at 14:27:03:
: I read about a 17 year old that passed away suddenly in the prime of her life from some freak accident. Now I know millions of folks have passed on before but as a parent it really got me thinking about raising kids.
: After all the watching and caring and teaching and loving and raising a child that person can just be wiped out in the blink of an eye.
: Whats the whole fuckin point?
: Sorry to depress ya......
How about the point being that you're part of a larger society.
To begin with, the parents of the child are not the only ones who have invested in this child's life. You can think of direct sources like teachers and coaches and babysitters, etc. You can also think of indirect sources, like taxpayers, legislators, public servants, custodial staff.
That of course means that you, as a parent are directly or indirectly involved in the lives of *other* people's children.
The fact of life is that not everyone makes it out of childhood alive, but society keeps moving along.
Then, I'm afraid I have to ask how you could even ask this question. Even the parents of children who they *know* are terminal don't ask this question. They still watch and care and teach and love and raise their children the best way they know how. Somehow you seem to be implying that it was 'time wasted' in some way. Parenting is, to me, an end in and of itself, not solely as a means to create new adults.