A Pregnant Pause . . .

Newborn Baby

Conceived by Misconception?

(Image from Wikipedia)

In my research writing class last Friday, students were busy honing their topics and sharpening their focuses as they prepared their individual research projects for this semester. I was wandering about the classroom, offering assistance, advice, comments, whatever was required. Students needed only beckon, and I would approach.

One student called out, "Professor, over here!"

I walked over to see what she needed

"I'm thinking about getting pregnant before marriage," she said.

Astonished, I could only stare at her.

She waited a moment for me to speak, and when I didn't, she asked, "Can you help me?"

That left me even less capable of formulating a proper response. I mean, what can one say?

Again, she took the initiative. "A lot of celebrities are having babies before marriage, and I see them as role models for this."

I was starting to think that I'd need to regulate more carefully what television programs my kids can watch if celebrities have powers sufficiently great to evoke such emulation, but I still didn't know how to respond to the student.

She then said, "Because of their bad example, lots of young people are having premarital sex and even having babies. I don't think this is good for the children because they often grow up in a fatherless home, which is a disadvantage for them in Korea's Confucian society."

Everything suddenly clicked as I understood. "Oh!" I exclaimed. "You want to write about having babies before marriage!"

"Yes," she replied, giving me a puzzled look. "What did you think I meant?"