Wednesday, August 27, 2008

random thoughts: questions

These were random ideas that popped into my head and won't go away. I typed up one of them previously into a longer post, edited it down, and then decided it could be mis-read and someone might get the wrong idea about some of my views. So I deleted it; the next day rewrote it; then deleted it again. But the thought remained, so I will include it with the new thoughts.

-question- What is the consequence or potential consequence of planning a baby on schedule? Are there any long-lasting or potential future issues because of a scheduled birth? This question came about - at first - because of overhearing a conversation about a woman who was two weeks past due, so the doctor was going to induce labor the following Monday if they baby was not yet born. Then I overheard another conversation where a woman was scheduling her delivery date like she was making a dental appointment; in the future; not overdue; months away. It made me wonder what the repercussions might be of a planned birth date. Are there physiological issues which might come up? Is there something of the natural birth process which is skipped and may crop up as something else later? (I'm thinking about premature babies who sometimes have problems later; or the children who learn to walk before crawling and then sometimes have to go back and learn to crawl again because they skipped that step...) I understand for medical reasons, overdue births ... What happens - if anything - when the natural process is interrupted or never begins?

-question- How do we know when we are on the right path? (I'm not talking the physical, walk in the woods, and over the hills kind of path.)

-question- How can you be sure you are good enough friends with someone for the "come to jesus" talk? Or do you just have to take the risk and accept that if the friend gets mad and cuts you off then you really weren't as close as you thought you were.

-question (from a friend)- D.O. asked for the name of "A politician or public figure who stayed faithful to his/her vision and, at long last, was vindicated. NOT WINSTON CHURCHILL. But who?? Neither Jimmy Carter nor Teddy Kennedy seems quite right...... The point is: be patient, know what you stand for, and just keep working whether in success or in defeat." *my question in response:* IS there such a person? At the national/international level? I'm curious to know, but not for the same reasons as David, who is nearing completion of his manuscript.

Like I said: random. Unrelated. Just thoughts. And like the comedian, Bill Engvall, I sometimes put a thought out there before it's thoroughly thought through when I should have said nogthing.