Parenthood

I was once on a Barrier Reef dive boat and after the night dive we all had a few beers and sat under the stars talking the world away.

We were joined by a thoroughly dislikeable chap from New York. He was a caricature of the Jewish mother's boy so beloved of the comedy shows. I had met him only a few minutes when the conversation turned to his mother. He was meeting her in Sydney, sharing some of his vacation with her. Strangely enough, my mother, nor anyone else's, were mentioned at any point in the voyage.

After a little chit chat someone mentioned their child and he launched into a tirade of ill informed opinion which culminated in him calling all parents there, fools and declaring his intention to have none.

I had had enough of him by that stage and went back at him. I told him that the parents here have invested a great deal of time, effort, money and love on their children, and it is a bit rich of him to pontificate about our foolishness while being unable to shut up about his mother. If childlessness was such a good thing, it was a shame that no one had convinced his mother of its desirability before she was foolish enough to have him.

He didn't speak again that night.