"Younglings..."

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It is amazing how much having kids changes your viewpoint on a great many things. It is equally as amazing how much they can affect one's life BEFORE they even exist. I remember a few months back talking to my buddy who "got hitched", and making sure that he had actually discussed with his bride-to-be what his and her expectations were regarding children. I have seen marriages deteriorate to the point of divorce simply because the subject of kids was never brought up when they were dating / engaged, and both people had markedly different approaches that were not acceptable to the other. I remember that fairly early into my relationship with The Wife, I began testing the waters and getting her thoughts on kiddoes.

The one thing that made me pay more attention to what exactly is going on in this messed up world was thinking of the future that my kids will be in. I used to not even care about pretty much anything outside of my own little realm. I never voted until I married. I would listen to what the news told me, especially CNN, and take it as truth, with no questioning of the logic (or lack thereof) and no further research. Now I can not look at pretty much any news worthy event without thinking how this might possibly affect Little Man and Tiny.

Watching TV and movies is REALLY different now. Wow. I was watching one of those "World's Wildest Police / Amazing Videos" shows, and they had a clip about some psycho with a butcher cleaver taking a kid hostage. Then there was a movie (don't remember which one) where the main antagonist kidnaps a baby. Both instances, my body ramped up and my mind cleared to focus on the two "bad guys". The adreneline rush felt about two to three times of what I used to get from back in my fightin' days going for the championships. All because of something on TV. Both times it took me a long while to calm down.

Then there is when they get hurt. Talk about Super Speed. I remember one time at a tournament, the son of the Chief Judge (who was also the Host of the tournament), slipped in the middle of the fight onto the concrete floor. The other fighter went to go help him out (we all had a certain camaraderie outside of the ring... in the ring "I've never seen that guy before"). Unfortunately for him, the Judge thought he was continuing his attack, charged him, and knocked him back onto the ground. Fortunately for both (legally for the Judge, physically for the other fighter), that's all he did. At the time, I thought he overreacted. Looking back, I can see how he mis-interpreted the situation; however, since it was a controlled environment, I still think his intervention could have been handled differently. Looking back at my previous statement of rage when kids (especially your own) are in danger, let me qualify that by adding "defenseless". In a consensual situation such as a tournament, when the participants are basically adults, it is a different situation.

Blah. Me ramble mucho.

I get all riled up when I read pieces such as this. This one is old, but is a case in point. Then there is this. I just had to vent.

Update: Oh yeah... this one. And yet another. I defy you to look at that picture after reading that article and not become enraged beyond belief (I believe Kim du Toit calls it RCOB or The Machine as explained by Doc Russia).

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