Breed, then wither away

posted August 21st, 2019 at 8:12 PM

I lived for some time in a small town along a lake in Ontario. Most years we would get bombarded with Mayflies. The ground would be covered like a thick carpet, the lit windows of Tim Horton's would be a 6 inch wall of insects, and I remember the sound of driving over them on a quiet night (popcorn). Anyway, in 24 hours these things reproduce and then having fulfilled their role, they die. I'm in my mid 30's now and the physical differences between people my age who chose to have kids and those that haven't is HUGE! It's like once that breeding role is fulfilled there's no drive to stay healthy. Glad I don't have that biological urge to spawn.

7 Comments

I disagree

Aug 22, 2019 at 3:58pm

Now that I have children, I'm even more motivated to stay healthy so I can be there for them.

Spawn

Aug 22, 2019 at 4:05pm

is such an ugly word and doesn't accurately represent the love of a parent for their child. Maybe you didn't experience feeling cared for.

You must be a guy

Aug 22, 2019 at 7:29pm

I never had kids but I've still gained 30 lbs.

Just so

Aug 22, 2019 at 11:38pm

A documented and indisputable clinical reality. On several levels.
Human females that have offspring, subsequently age faster according to recent studies of cellular biology. Post-partum is the monster under the hospital bed that everyone likes to ignore (but it makes serious bank for big pharma). Sleep deprivation over the first six years (on current data) is a well-established and serious health risk for all parties, which brings me to...The many effects of parenting on human males are mostly obvious, unhealthy and enduring.
Parents are indeed happier than childless people (single or otherwise), but only AFTER the children move out. Having a comparative really helps that state of empty-nest bliss, after the immediate lifestyle shock wears off. But while the littles are resident, parents are much less happy than anyone else, including singles.
Except the ones in unhappy relationships. It appears that nothing can save them. Those in happy relationships are the happiest, relatively speaking. Probably only because loneliness is murder (eventually and literally) on human health.

This is all statistics, of course.
But people will pile on, downvote, condemn and dispute. Just like the 80 percent of drivers that consider themselves better than average at driving. Which is mathematically impossible, of course...
Turns out we're not that clever a species, after all.

Are you saying

Aug 23, 2019 at 10:01am

that you're more attractive? I highly doubt it. Sounds like nobody chose you to marry and raise a family.

My grandma

Aug 23, 2019 at 10:06am

stayed beautiful and in good shape until old age. She mothered 10 children.

I hear you!

Aug 23, 2019 at 7:59pm

I am 50 and I take care of myself by eating healthy and getting a lot of exercise. I have had two kids but I don’t see why people decide to let themselves go. When I see other people who are my age they look like they are so frumpy dumpy. I think we need to take care of our bodies so we can enjoy life into our senior years- not become mushy lumps.