I commented to Pete that the grass is always greener on the other side, but most parents could tell him tales that would make his hair curl. Pete, think of the orderly, un-messy life you’ve had with enough disposable income to do what you like! There’s always advantages and disadvantages. I had to wait many years before I reaped the benefit of parenting. The early years were a living nightmare.

beetleypete

I have been married three times, and yet I have never had children. Some who know me might think that this is a good thing, others have encouraged me to procreate, believing that I would be a ‘good father’. As I get older, and my nature becomes more reflective, and less reactive, I often think about this. No-one will ever call me Dad. Daddy, Father, Pops, or any of the other names associated with being a male parent. When I am dead and gone, there will be nobody to continue my ‘line’, and carry my name through the ages.

I recall a conscious decision not to have children, taken even before my first marriage. We were 25, had good jobs, excellent prospects for buying houses in nice areas of London, and the opportunity to travel abroad on holidays. There were two good cars, everything we needed, and a social circle…

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