A friend told me that my perspective on a lot of things would change once she was born. He's right. Some perspectives are changing.
-Renegade
Exposure to "responsibility" in the purest and most absolute sense of the word does that to you.
Falling in love can do that too. But, once a child enters the picture, you can't honestly say your life is completely your own any more.
Isn't it odd how paradoxically liberating that loss of personal freedom becomes?
Not a bad trade-off giving up some personal freedom in order to acquire an additional purpose in life: a family.
Family...
Almost magical isn't it? 
-40hz
It is! My focus shifted entirely from my own future to that of my son's (now sons'). I lost all interest in my PhD and let it fade away over a protracted [cough]six years[/cough]
That probably DOESN'T sound positive or thinking about my son's future, but it was. I should never have started the thing in the first place; having a child brought that into stark focus for me. I wanted security, stability, and time with my son, not running like a rat on a wheel trying to get ahead in academia, moving every few years in search of tenure, frequent travel to conferences/fieldwork, late nights working on papers, research, and grant proposals, etc.
Enjoy this time, Renegade and kunkel321! You *almost* make me want to do it all over again!
