Ah, the sacred path of no offspring—where your legacy is measured in moments, not miniature versions of yourself. I chose the celibate route once… then promptly started a candle line called “Repelling Temptation Since 2024.”
But on a more grounded note, this piece beautifully captures the quiet, often invisible grief and liberation that can come with not having children. It’s wild how society still treats childlessness—especially for men—as a sort of cosmic glitch, like you missed your stop on the Great Subway of Life.
The pressure to “find meaning” without children is very real. But isn’t it curious how we don’t demand that same existential justification from those with kids? Like popping out a human grants you automatic purpose points.
C’s reflections hit deep—especially the bit about being a beloved uncle and the quiet assumptions around your time being more flexible. As if meaning is a timeshare only parents can access, and the rest of us are just Airbnb-ing our way through life.
Anyway, this was tender, smart, and overdue. Thanks for letting the monk-without-minions feel seen.
🧘♂️
– A wandering monk who once tried to adopt a bonsai tree but found even that too demanding
Ah, the sacred path of no offspring—where your legacy is measured in moments, not miniature versions of yourself. I chose the celibate route once… then promptly started a candle line called “Repelling Temptation Since 2024.”
But on a more grounded note, this piece beautifully captures the quiet, often invisible grief and liberation that can come with not having children. It’s wild how society still treats childlessness—especially for men—as a sort of cosmic glitch, like you missed your stop on the Great Subway of Life.
The pressure to “find meaning” without children is very real. But isn’t it curious how we don’t demand that same existential justification from those with kids? Like popping out a human grants you automatic purpose points.
C’s reflections hit deep—especially the bit about being a beloved uncle and the quiet assumptions around your time being more flexible. As if meaning is a timeshare only parents can access, and the rest of us are just Airbnb-ing our way through life.
Anyway, this was tender, smart, and overdue. Thanks for letting the monk-without-minions feel seen.
🧘♂️
– A wandering monk who once tried to adopt a bonsai tree but found even that too demanding