OT: births, was Re: Quick Announcement

On Thu, 2 Aug 2001, Danny Wier wrote:

> From: "Thomas R. Wier" <artabanos@...>
>
> | Oh, it wouldn't be so weird if there are lots and lots of children.  Benjamin
> | Franklin was, for example, the youngest of 17 children, which was only
> | slightly unusual for colonial America, where the fertility rate was more like
> | only 8-10 children per woman.  (Not that that carries over to David's
> situation.)
>
> Or look at J.S. Bach.  He had 22 children, at least four became composers, but
> none of them as great as their father.
>
> And I thought seven was a lot.
<wince>  Heck, parents today think their single kid Johnny (etc.) is too
much of a handful.  How *did* they do it?

(Teaching isn't the same as parenting, but one wonders--with some
trepidation--how one manages to keep a room of 20 kids from killing each
other without being punitive.)

As a female I find myself irrationally terrified of the idea of giving
birth.  My mom's health was damaged after my sister's birth, though she
wasn't (I believe) near dying either...I don't know.  Cramps are bad
enough; I once practically collapsed on the subway, was taken to the
hospital, and made it to the math final exam over a half hour late
(though going to school in a spare ambulance was an adventure...); the
teacher ended up letting me make it up, but God, I thought I was going
to die...and that was just cramps.

ObConlang: what, if any, are birthing metaphors in your conlangs and
what attitudes toward birth do they reveal?  Is life a burden or a
blessing?  Bearing fruit, shaping clay, anything?  The Czevraqis verb
for birth is also used to describe artistic/craftmanship creations.  I'm
sure others out there have done *way* more interesting metaphors.  :-)

YHL

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