A little late this week but St Patty’s Day, especially when it falls on a weekend, can be exhausting.  Thanks to the folks in Foxburg for the sellout crowd and the over-the-top response.  I think it was the best gig in the, almost, 20 years I’ve been doing this!

I am a “baby person”.  I’m not quite sure why, and I’ve put some thought into it, but for some reason I can’t resist the smile of a tiny human.  Maybe it’s because, with babies, there are no pretenses.  They don’t hide their emotions.  Whether it’s pure joy or pure misery, and the two can be only seconds apart, they let it all out.  Or maybe it’s just how warm and peaceful they are sleeping in your arms.  Or maybe it’s the fun of watching their personalities develop.  Regardless of the frustration of not being able to figure out why they’re crying, 5 minutes of cooing and smiling after 2 hours of screaming makes it all worthwhile.  The most likely reason is that I am inspired by the endless possibilities of a new life.

I’ve always looked at life as a series of choices which eventually lead you to the path you’re on.  I always hope that those choices are made consciously since every one, no matter how seemingly insignificant, alters where we end up.  In the beginning the road is wide and open and the world lies before us offering nearly endless choices.  But as we start making decisions , or decisions are made for us, the road narrows and there are fewer off ramps and intersections.

When I get the chance to talk to kids I always emphasize that they need to make decisions that will keep as many life options available to them as possible.  Blowing off school and getting bad grades reduces opportunities.  Dropping out of school has severe future economic consequences.  Getting  pregnant in high school makes life exponentially more difficult.  I guess what I’m saying is that I’m pro-choice, or more precisely, pre-choice.  It’s not really a hard concept to grasp.  We all make choices and we all live with the consequences of those choices.  There’s no blaming anyone else for what happens after the choice is made, it was your choice.  For example, every time you have sex there is a measurable chance that pregnancy will be the result.  Therefore, by having sex you have made the choice to have a child.  You’ve done the risk analysis, you know what could happen, and you’ve made your choice to be a father or a mother.  You can’t take it back.  There’s no “do over” because now there’s a third person involved.  And that decision tree can be applied to any decision in life.  If you never smoke a joint or snort coke you’ll never become addicted (although prescription painkillers could be the exception).  There is the possibility that anyone who drinks can become an alcoholic so if you do drink, I have to assume you’ve done the risk analysis to ensure the benefits outweigh the risk.

I know that riding a scooter is a high risk activity and I bought my Vespa after I retired because I knew Peg would be all right without me if I got flattened by a Semi.  I would have never ridden one while I was still raising kids.  Every day, whether we realize it or not, we are, or should be, making decisions based on whether the benefit is worth the risk or how might this decision affect the future.  The problem is too many people have never been taught how to make sound life decisions.  To set aside their narcissistic tendencies and make informed, moral choices.  Here’s where we come back to babies.  As parents and grandparents and uncles and aunts we need to encourage and educate and mentor our kids on how to choose paths that, aren’t necessarily easy but, will lead to joyful, fulfilling lives.

There is one off ramp that is always available and will always lead to a better road and I think ya’ll know me well enough to know what that ramp is.