Playbook For A Childfree Life

i can barely take care of myself by Jen Kirkman is more than just a hilarious series of stories about a young woman’s life being center stage in the limelight of critique and ridicule about her personal decision of not wanting to bring a child on board her already frenzied train to the free-spirited, strangely cool island of Quirksville. Instead, it’s also kind of like a how-to, didactic playbook manifesto for navigating through a life filled with inconsiderate prejudices from persuasive cavilers.

“Most people who don’t want kids also don’t want to be cornered by strangers at parties who launch an informal investigation into our psyches and backgrounds and decision-making capabilities.” - Jen Kirkman.

“It’s time for the bullying from breeders to stop.” - Jen Kirkman.

Between the pages, Kirkman repeatedly reassures and explains how she does not dislike or, dare I say, hate children or the people that want to have them or even her friends, for that matter, that have or want to have them. She points out that, obviously, ones friendships and interests’ do change a little from how you spend your time and money when you have a child, but it should not change your attitude of respect and common decency towards others!

As you grow up, you begin to realize that the peer pressure in high school wasn’t actually all that bad after all.

“This is the real reason lots of people end up changing their minds and having kids. They don’t want to lose their friends. It’s just like drugs. Peer pressure eventually gets to everyone.” - Jen Kirkman.

However, baby, a child, another human being with a heart should not, under any circumstances, give parents the right to become some kind of rude, elite force; an army of ‘spawnists’ who can’t seem to respect others’ personal choices to not want to multiply their genes. I know how to multiply my jeans just fine, thank you.

“Childfree by choice is the new gay. We’re the new disenfranchised group. People think we’re irresponsible, immoral sluts and that our lifestyle is up for debate.” - Jen Kirkman.

True. Babies and children can be cute little blessings (most of the time). But this doesn’t mean that everyone on earth is cut from the same bib cloth. (no pun intended…well, maybe just a little) Not everyone is cut out or even wants to handle that kind of responsibility of caring for another tiny human being’s every desire and demand. Not everyone follows the same generic recipe for life. Some people find it much more fun to concoct their own original recipe.

“It also takes a lot of strength and dedication to carve out a life that doesn’t seem normal to anyone else.” - Jen Kirkman.

For some of us, it’s hard enough making it on our own; surviving the best we can to make sure we alone get the proper amount of food, sleep, exercise, respect and love to and from others, showering and staying potty-trained. How then should we be expected to be responsible for a little ankle-biter when some of us are already daunted by the task of being responsible for just ourselves?

For more information about Jen Kirkman, go to her website at jenkirkman.com or follow her on twitter: @JenKirkman & instagram @JenKirkman. Everything you need and could ever want to know can be found there. If it’s not there, then you were not meant to know about it…yet.

i can barely take care of myself is available in hardcover, paperback, electronic copy and audiobook (which is read by Jen herself).

Download & listen to her podcast “I Seem Fun: The Diary of Jen Kirkman Podcast” on Itunes, Soundcloud & Libsyn

Printing Mother Teresa

So, back in the early part of January of 2014, I was at work and this lady came in and wanted to make some copies of a few old photos. Included in the bunch was a photo of Mother Teresa. As I’m standing there waiting for these photos to finish scanning, my mind kept meandering back to the article that Jen had read on her podcast, “I Seem Fun: The Diary of Jen Kirkman”, in the episode, “Watch Out for Frauds" >listen from 34:07 – 47:36<

This lady couldn’t decide. She wasn’t quite sure what size photo she wanted (a 4x6 or 5x7). She wanted to see one of each. She then decided on ten 5x7’s of the Mother Teresa photo. However, the first batch of ten printed out darker than the test one did. (I have no idea why seeing as all of them were being printed from the very same printer) Anyway. So I scanned the image of Mother Teresa again, edited and printed another ten.

As I set aside the pile of “mess ups” to be discarded later, I hear the lady tell me, “I’ll pay for them. Don’t cut them up, she was a saint. That would be a sin.” This is preposterous, I thought to myself. Why would anyone want to pay extra for pictures they didn’t really want just so they wouldn’t be disposed of? But I wasn’t going to argue.

This had topped the cake. Up until this point, I’d been trying so hard to stay professional and fight back any urge of laughing out loud or saying anything sardonic or ironic. The inside of my head, though…was bursting. You see, while I kept recalling the article, I also kept hearing Jen's voice say, “Mother Teresa. What a douche.”

But seriously, Mother Teresa was a saint. True. But, she was just a human saint. She was flawed just like the rest of us and according to the research, apparently hypocritical as well. It’s not like she was holy or some divine, celestial being.

Listen to it here: Watch Out For Frauds

The Forgotten Copper

Disbanding the production of copper currency is a smart financial and economical decision for the Canadian government. A decision that the United States should soon follow suit. By not producing the penny, millions of dollars can be saved. Millions of dollars that could be used more productively elsewhere. Say, I don’t know, paying down the National Debt!

The penny really has lost its value and respect. Every day thousands, even millions, are trampled on and forgotten about. Very few people really see them for who they are. They have been around and seen a lot since their creation. The myriad of stories they could each tell. Each one of them used to bring a simple smile to child’s face with just a piece of candy. 

My keen sense of observation and I refuse to leave them abandoned on roadsides and floors, dizzied in washing machines or drowned in fountains. We will continue to rescue them. While their careers as a national currency may be over, these coppers still have a lot to live for. For instance, being tossed into cans for general merriment and amusement, (which is actually quite addicting and so much fun!)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/03/30/f-penny-faq.html