Number Seventeen: A Boy or a Girl

Would you like a boy or a girl?

When this question was posed to young couples 20, 30, 40 years ago -- some would choose, some would say they didn't care, and many would just say "as long as it's healthy."

Pose this question to parents today, there's a possibility you might hear:
I would like a boy, blue eyes with his fathers hair color. Also, we would like for him to grow to at least 6'3, with above average speed and agility, along with a predilection for math and science.

Seriously, we aren't that far away from baby menus and fertility boutiques. And, wow...yeah, we have made progress, broken the barriers, done things we never thought possible. The discoveries that have been made are simply mind blowing. Truly.

Now...maybe we could switch focus for a minute?

Try to stay with me here:

I work at an ad agency. At any given time we have new business pitches, spec work and billable jobs floating around. Now, what's the most fun? The new creative...the without reigns brainstorming for new products, designs and headlines. However, that's not what really pays the bills. There are times you HAVE to work on the existing and (most importantly) paying clients. It might be old hat. It might not be exactly what you want to be doing, but it's work that has to be done. And, since you are good at doing your job, you take on the new project and give it all you can. There will be other times to push the envelope.

On the same train of thought...I am sure that it is a blast growing little ears on the backs of lab mice. But we really got some important work left to do.

Is it time to reprioritize our scientific research. I don't know, perhaps we put more heads into the AIDS epidemic, reallocate resources to cancer, put a little bit more into making the kids we have safer and healthier? You know...the 1.35 million of kids living on the streets any given night of the week.

I will be the first to raise my hand and say:

Dear scientists,
While I would rather not lose an ear, I will gladly give up the research time for you to grow one if you would like to give some thought to leukemia.

I don't mind if the children I have aren't perfect, if that could free up a few minutes you could devote to diabetes research.

If my child has to be lactose intolerant, I'm willing to take responsibility for that and stock up on soy milk if you want to figure out MS.

I will pass on getting my cat cloned even though I love him very much, if you wanted to brainstorm Alzheimers.

Anybody else willing to give up something?