Are you sure you're from Wasilla?

I stay in occasional contact with Mercede and Sherry Johnston, probably communicating with Sadie about once a month or so and her mother a tad more frequently, and of course we are also Facebook friends.

As a rule I pay little attention to the things that Sadie posts on FB, because it is often directed more to the friends in her social circle and I sometimes feel like it's eavesdropping if I read anything personal. (I am not sure I will ever be completely comfortable with immediately knowing who just broke up with whom and when somebody that I don't really know very well has a parent die. But I guess that is the world we now live in.)

However the other day at the top of my news feed was a rather impassioned post about Sadie's feelings concerning a certain question that she is continually being asked.

I immediately thought that it deserved to be seen by a wider audience so I e-mailed Sadie and asked if I could post it.  She said, and I quote, "Absolutely no problem jess."

So here it is:

It is inconceivable to me that people ask me why I don't have kids yet or tell me I should get pregnant with them because it would be "cool" or "fun". Bringing a child into this world isn't glamorous, "cool", or a fad..they're human beings that demand unconditional love, everlasting time, an excessive amount of money, unfathomable attention, and exceptionally hard work. (no offense to any young mothers out there). 

Call me old fashioned but I think one should be in a long-term commited relationship, get married, be financially stable, and live in a safe and happy environment before even considering bringing another life into this world. 

This is not intended to insult or hurt anyone. It just continues to shock me how people think it's normal to expect a 20 yr old to have a kid(s). Or think it's acceptable to get pregnant just because a friend is and they unfortunately assume it would be "fun".

Now this was not written as an attack on anybody else, in fact many of Sadie's friends are in fact pregnant (Including her brother's girlfriend.), but it does indicate a certain point of view which seems to be out of vogue with many in the Valley these days. Perhaps in no small way the result of a certain Wasilla reality show participant who has made it seem glamorous and lucrative to have a baby out of wedlock.

Personally after reading this I was kind of proud of Sadie for standing up for the idea of waiting to have children, and for pointing out how wrong it is to have babies simply because they are "fun." They can indeed be a great source of joy, and fun as well, but having children, as she points out, is also hard work and a lifetime commitment. Not one that should be taken lightly, despite what one might learn from watching certain reality show that I will refrain from mentioning.

Oh by the way, this was Sherry's response to Sadie's Facebook post:

What I don't like is that America is telling our kids that it's cool to be a teenaged mother. Get a reality show and make lots of money! We all know that's BS. If you happen to become a mother when you're a teenager, I pray you have a great family and friends. You will need that support system.

And it looks as if when Mercede finally does become a mother, she will have exactly that.

And this is why these are my favorite two people in Wasilla. Not that they had a lot of competition.