The Moe Dilemma

A few years ago I went to a wedding breakfast and sat next to a woman, who at first, appeared quite adjusted, normal, happy, just a friend of the bride. Then I heard her say she had nine children because she just loved babies so much. A random assortment of her kids rambled quietly by the restaurant. I wasn't sure which kids were hers--all of the them?

Now, babies are fine and all, but I don't seek them out. I am the type of person to go down another aisle in the grocery store if I come across children acting too loudly. I seem to only love the babies that I know, especially ones directly related to me. This, I suppose, has something to do with Darwin, how we protect those related to us, so that our gene pool can be passed downward. Regardless, I am 37 and have never felt the twinge of baby madness, that is ever-rampant in one of my friends to the point she will get up and leave a conversation/coffee/food eating with you to rush after some small pupa-to-toddler aged child. I find this perplexing and a little vexing. (E if you are reading this, you know it's true.)

Through my twenties, I told my mother how I didn't really care for the children out there randomly in the world, and she said to me more than once that I would feel differently about my own. I am sure she is right. She kept me around, even though I cried for the two first years of my life. There is a family rumor that my first word was dammit, as in quietly whispered, Dammit, Sara, can you please stop crying?

Anyhow, my dogs, my cats, and even my parrot were adopted, as strays or from humane societies.

I fight the urge every week when I come across some delectable dog/cat that is need of a home. Most recently, I turned away this magnificent pup, Moe. Click here--you know you want to take him home. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11086180

I don't think he is part saluki, fanstastic as that would be. Once you adopt him, you can send in a small blood sample to get his DNA breed profile.

The reason that I did not take Moe home is that my house is too full. That I cannot care for another animal in the manner that they deserve due to the saturation of small beasts in my 1060 sq ft home. That a parrot takes hours of attention each day so that he doesn't turn into a self-multilating-->bald boy. That I only have two arms, one for each of the dogs, to best walk them. This doesn't take into consideration the 6+ meals/day the old cat requires, or the fact that Lulu might turn soft-spoken, polite Moe into a barking, fear-propelled monster. I love Lulu to pieces, but she does cut down on friendly dog-to-dog interactions.

So my point here is if you love babies, with those big eyes and round faces programmed to demand your protection, and if you have the space/love/time/money, then, For god's sake, adopt! But nine children? Come, on, people.