I used to think about and worry about politics and the out comes of elections a lot. I canvassed neighborhoods in Missouri on behalf of John Kerry to try and get out the vote in 2004, I've attended anti-war rallies on the Mall in D.C. (in early 2003 before the war started), so you can see that this stuff weighed heavily on my mind and consumed a bit of my time. But, this is my first major national election as a parent, and my feelings about politics and the outcomes of elections have changed. Things like pre-emptively invading a sovereign nation used to make me mad, but now it makes me sad. The whole concept of "mortgaging our children's future" was so abstract to me before November 8th, 2006. This is my daughter's life that we are talking about. What will be Eva's quality of living? What will be her access to energy and electricity when she is my age? How much will she pay in taxes to pay off the debts incurred by Bush's invasion of Iraq, or McCain's rash invasion of Iran (this one hasn't happened yet)?

So yeah as a parent life has changed. I don't get out of the house on Friday nights like I used, my consumption of Malt Liquor has dropped to near zero and I have more conversations about poop that most of you can believe, but really, the way I look at life as a whole has completely changed. I conceptualize almost everything or every decision as something will affect my child (children) and I try to do what will be best for her.