[Dante]

[MCaver]

You can choose your friends, not your family.

[Mal Con]

You can pick your friends. You can pick your nose. But you can't pick your friends nose.

[Miss Normandy]

[treewalker]

MN, I totally understand your convictions and I appreciate you for sharing them. When I wrote that about the resentments I had for my family I was probably just in a bad mood or feeling less than noble. I do on some level love my family and I try to include them in my life when I can, they aren't that bad, but sometimes they can be a little overbearing. After thinking about it more, I don't think that most pretty girls with nice families would necessarily discriminate against me, unless they really had their hearts set on having combined-family get togethers on a regular basis. And personally, I wouldn't want to marry someone who would require dailiy involvement with their or my families... Monthly? OK... I'm just more of a free-spirit and I like to get away and be an individual and I'd only be compatible with girls who valued that as well. You can value that and still have a family life. I think there are enough girls that respect that and understand that and might be attracted to the "fly out of the nest and make it on your own" mentality that I have. I don't really hate my family, and I don't harbor resentments... I just sometimes wish they were more fun to be around, but in small doses it goes great and isn't that bad.

[Stefan]

In regards to family..... There are times, well LOTS of times I really want to ring my wife's neck in my masculine hands. But I would never divorce her.

[gramps]

garsh, you doods all got so SERIOUS !! must be goin around, i've noticed that trend on other boards as well. or maybe it's just the weather. from my perspective as a 50-something grampa, the best reason to have kids is that if you're fortunate, meybe they won't turn out too bad, and eventually they'll provide you GRANDKIDS!!! and grandkids are the best, ain't nothin quite like em - one of those things you have to experience to appreciate. i've logged alot of miles with one in the baby carrier - she's become my favorite hiking partner. nothing like slogging up some switchbacks, gasping for air, and having her pur her hands on my elbows and say "let's go - YAY !!!"