Why we exist

Two issues have always bothered me with regards to children. Don't get me wrong: I love kids. But I don't understand why we should have them, and what we should do with them. I sort of figured out the answer to the latter question recently, watching the children of a family friend grow up. With children, you basically watch them and be prepared to catch them when they fall. You don't succeed all the time, which is good coz they learn from that.

The former question is a little trickier. We don't live in the farming age anymore. So it doesn't make sense to have children because we need more hands on the farm. I've asked my dad why he had children, but there was no philosophical answer there. Two weeks ago, I was having another random conversation with the guy down at the FACS facility and he actually gave a great answer. The only thing is, I didn't realize that it was the answer I have been looking for till this evening while listening to an orchestra play boring jazz. Don't get me wrong: the orchestra was great and so were most of the other pieces. Just not that one. Anyway, Brian said that he would be happy if he could live long enough to show his son everything he's enjoyed in life. He didn't go as far as to say that he had children because he wanted to share the miracle called life, but I think that it is a good reason to have children. Of course, it doesn't explain why people who were overworked and suffering had children. Times have changed though.

So people have children because despite all the bad things that have happened in life, enough good things have also happened such that they would like the cycle of living to go on. That, and also because some people just don't know how to use birth control.

Despite his inability to tell me why I exist, my dad enjoyed raising his children. That makes me believe that despite being unable to explain what he had in mind (or perhaps he didn't know what he had in mind to begin with) when he decided to have children, my dad enjoyed the process of showing his children the things in life that he found wonderful.

I feel like my answer is rather anti-climatic. Who would choose to have children if they didn't think that life is worth continuing? Common sense, simple logic -- not so common, and not to simple to get to.