I noted in July’s issue of Current Cites, that we had ended our 24th year of continuous monthly publication and were entering our 25th. Of course the real celebrations will happen a year from now, but I thought that it was worth noting.
As I thought more about it, I remembered (again) that I had started the publication at UC Berkeley a little less than three years before my twins were born. Now they are in college. That got me to thinking that had I known I would still be doing this, month in and month out, over 20 years later, I’m not sure what I would have done.
Would I have been proud? Ready to jump in and put my shoulder to the wheel for the next 20-something years, every month? I don’t know. I really don’t. In some ways, it’s like parenthood. Although having children is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, I can’t help thinking if I knew all of the impacts that were about to occur for the rest of my life it would at least give me pause.
Some of my favorite statements of parenthood include these chestnuts (but nonetheless true): “having children is like deciding to let your heart live outside of your body” and “parenthood is the hardest job you will ever love”. Because, in the end, we don’t really know what we are getting in for until it’s too late. And that is a good thing.
Because if we truly understood all of the many impacts on our lives without also truly understanding the benefits, we probably would never do anything. And that’s not good.
So although it might sound strange, color me happy for ignorance. It definitely has its place.
About Roy Tennant