... and not the dark one.

I took Will to a jumpy house today for a few hours. I picked one that has a concession area. That way Linden and I can sit comfortably at a table while Will plays. As I sit down, I couldn't help but notice the family next to me had a baby just about Linden's size.

Within a few minutes, the mom asked how old Linden was, and I told her he was 3 months old. Her daughter was 9. (Which shouldn't have surprised me as Linden was wearing a 9 months, and they were damn near the same size.)

She was very easy to talk to, and very outgoing. Before long we shared the facts that our babies were both the fourth born of our children. While she was amazed to find out I had grown children, I was amazed to find out her's were 6, 4, 2, and 9 months. YIKES!

We discussed staying at home as moms and breastfeeding. And that was when it got weird.

"I don't consider myself a zealot, or anything," she said.

That's never a good way to start a conversation.

"But I do believe in God and a good force that works in his ways."

Okay, I can understand that.

"And I believe an opposite force is at work too. An evil force."

Weirdly worded, but most people who believe in God believe in the Devil as well.

"I believe this evil force is working against us to destroy the family.
I mean, think of how the stay-at-home mom or
breast-feeding mom is persecuted.
Looked down on.
They treat us like we have no value."

And she lost me.

It's not that I don't see, hear, and live the prejudice she was talking about every day. I do. In our current society, living in a metro area, we are in the minority. I know of several moms on my street, and I'm the only one that stays at home. I know of two women with babies about Lindens age in my neighborhood, and I'm the only one still nursing.

But I don't think it's an evil force.

Steve and I talked about it this evening and he thinks our society is more focused on finances and moving-up than on family. Which I can agree with to a point.

I think the base issue is two-fold.

1.) The down fall of the family unit within America. And oddly, I think that started way back when it become easier for family members to move further away from each other. Children are seldom raised with nearby family members; aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. It used to take a village to raise a child, now it takes a nanny or daycare.

2.) We are becoming less social each generation. As a whole, we no longer go out and mingle with our neighbors. We don't stop in grocery stores and chat with strangers over lettuce selections. We don't know the names of our UPS driver, mailman, or the fireman that lives down the road. We are more involved in jobs that separate us from each other. Spend more free time online or gaming. We date online. We socialize online. We are slowly creating a society that values distancing themselves from mundane life; like raising their own children. (Shouldn't there be a program for that?)

Oh well, that's my deep thought for the day. Brought to you by the weird mom I sat next too. All I can say is, "May the force be with you ... and not the dark one."