Heh. I have every intention of being overly effusive about your divergent choice. That's one of my main life strategies.
I owe you an apology, for having any doubt that you're picking up on a slight disapproval from parents for choosing not to have kids. I asked around and some of my parent friends confessed to judging their kid-less friends' lifestyle. I'm sorry I questioned that you'd sensed that behavior. Presumably they mask it, and presumably, observant as you are, you pick up on it. I assume I don't feel that directed at me because they don't think that I even have the option. Well, I do, for one. For two, it is still bullshit. I glared at them, just like I said I would.
Everyone is being really nice about the prospect of having a kid on my own. Thank you. It is genuinely heartening. I haven't looked into my options yet, but intend to think pretty broad thoughts. I mean, if you aren't going to follow the romantic partner/nuclear family model, you might as well open the door wide to other set-ups. I have to say, the 'single mom on her own' model* looks really demanding, even as I watch people close to me handle it gracefully. There's Co-abode, for example, or tricking some guy in a bar into fatherhood.
But whatever. That's not the only stuff on my mind. If you told me which Shakespeare you were reading, I could read it at the same time and we could talk about it. I'm not making other resolutions, because arranging to have a baby sounds like project enough. But, I usually pick one food item to spend a year learning to make. I'm thinking maybe dumplings. I have no dumpling experience, so if I do anything with them at all, that'll show improvement.
*The people around me seem pretty intrigued by a trip to the sperm bank. My sister asked what features I was gonna get. Margie wanted to know if I'd written specs for the kid yet. Dubin suggested good grammar and perfect spelling as traits to pick out. I will, of course, write out a list for everyone here to argue over and prioritize.