No, I am not literally advocating an infringement of Free Speech. It's the very basis of our society. I simply feel like certain opinions need to come with a fee or a toll, based on frequency and pointlessness.
My specific grind? Pressure to get married and have children. OK, I get it. People get married, and a lot of people are ridiculously happy about it. People have children, and a lot of people are ridiculously happy about it. Fine. But why do so many people have to comment or ask when it is going to happen for me or other people?
The latest incident was when I was at a party. Adults and their children both. One father I know was watching his son dance to the music that was playing, absolutely beaming. His smile went so far up his face that I could hardly tell if his eyes were open. Good for him. Happy for their family. But then it happened. He goes, "Man, I tell you! Kids are the greatest! I love my son! When are you going to start making some of your own?". I replied to him, "All in good time. There is a time for everything.". To this, he replied, "But you're wasting your life! Sportscars, boats, bikes, vacations! None of this matters. Family matters. Kids matter!".
I nearly threw up in my own drink. Not that I was disgusted by the thought of children and family. I was getting sick of hearing the same old song about children and family. I'm not terribly young. I'm sort of aware of the fact that men and women get married and have children. This "news" never comes as a mind blowing shock that this goes on. Yet I always seem to get about a thousand reminders a year. Strangers, acquaintances, colleagues, associates, anybody. I'm waiting for stray dogs to start drawing baby pictures in the sand.
Let's not even get into the people who feel that it's nearly offensive that I'm in my early 30's and still living life however I want, rather than raising a family.
So I feel that it would be great if people had to pay to give this advice. Say, $125 to recommend marriage or children to someone who never asked for the advice. I'm not talking about seriously implementing this, so I have no idea how the logistics would work out. Just some kind of automated thing. Recommend marriage or children, and $125 goes automatically from the "adviser" to the person to whom they are giving their recommendation. I think this would be both a good way to curb the frequency and recklessness of this advice, as well as force the one giving the advice to contribute to the cause. I mean, if you hate the idea of starving homeless animals, you give to the ASPCA. If you want food and shelter for the starving kids in Africa, you give to UNICEF. Feel bad about third world kids with cleft palates? Give to Smile Train. Feel bad someone isn't married and doesn't have kids? Give $125 to the cause. That's only 34 cents a day, if one checks in on the situation once a year.
It's how we handle our roads. Want a cool highway? Pay taxes, tolls, and tickets. Want somebody to have kids? Same thing. Or just leave them alone.
But again, just a throwaway rant. No need to tear up the First Amendment to reduce mild annoyance. I can just be a grown-up and ignore it.
My specific grind? Pressure to get married and have children. OK, I get it. People get married, and a lot of people are ridiculously happy about it. People have children, and a lot of people are ridiculously happy about it. Fine. But why do so many people have to comment or ask when it is going to happen for me or other people?
The latest incident was when I was at a party. Adults and their children both. One father I know was watching his son dance to the music that was playing, absolutely beaming. His smile went so far up his face that I could hardly tell if his eyes were open. Good for him. Happy for their family. But then it happened. He goes, "Man, I tell you! Kids are the greatest! I love my son! When are you going to start making some of your own?". I replied to him, "All in good time. There is a time for everything.". To this, he replied, "But you're wasting your life! Sportscars, boats, bikes, vacations! None of this matters. Family matters. Kids matter!".
Let's not even get into the people who feel that it's nearly offensive that I'm in my early 30's and still living life however I want, rather than raising a family.
So I feel that it would be great if people had to pay to give this advice. Say, $125 to recommend marriage or children to someone who never asked for the advice. I'm not talking about seriously implementing this, so I have no idea how the logistics would work out. Just some kind of automated thing. Recommend marriage or children, and $125 goes automatically from the "adviser" to the person to whom they are giving their recommendation. I think this would be both a good way to curb the frequency and recklessness of this advice, as well as force the one giving the advice to contribute to the cause. I mean, if you hate the idea of starving homeless animals, you give to the ASPCA. If you want food and shelter for the starving kids in Africa, you give to UNICEF. Feel bad about third world kids with cleft palates? Give to Smile Train. Feel bad someone isn't married and doesn't have kids? Give $125 to the cause. That's only 34 cents a day, if one checks in on the situation once a year.
It's how we handle our roads. Want a cool highway? Pay taxes, tolls, and tickets. Want somebody to have kids? Same thing. Or just leave them alone.
But again, just a throwaway rant. No need to tear up the First Amendment to reduce mild annoyance. I can just be a grown-up and ignore it.
