Stop Doom Scrolling! Let's Debate: City, Country, or Suburbs?
Hashing out the age-old question with friend and comedian Ginny Hogan!
Where’s the best place to raise kids? This question — like anything these days — is deeply political. Unlike most things these days, it is also FUN.
For “This Alien I Grew” co-host Yiren Lu and I joined our good friend, comedian Ginny Hogan to debate: suburbs vs. city vs. outer borough vs. middle of nowhere. (Ginny was stealth pregnant at the time.)
It grinds my gears that, in America, we are supposed to totally shape our lives around our spawn. This includes needing to own a big house in a suburb with a yard and a dog. (No dog, you are depriving your kids! Only child? You are a selfish monster of a parent.)
I’ve seen this expectation make a lot of people feel like they just can’t have kids — including people who are actually pretty rich. It also leads to people losing their kids for not fitting into a very strict definition of fitness.
Honestly, I had months of nightmares after moving into my apartment because there is no elevator. How can you have a baby without an elevator?! (Turns out billions of people around the world do this every day, including people who own multi-story houses.)
It has been totally, 100% fine, especially with the help of my Soviet-propaganda-style song:
We like the stairs. Stairs make us strong!
Stairs take us home to the place we belong!
Recommendations
In the podcast I rave about Holly Mumford, the architect who helped make our home perfect for Ada. Hire her!
This story about parents with disabilities losing their kids really shook me.
This story about being a chaplain at Bellevue made me feel less powerless in this current moment, because we can actually never change someone else.
Honestly, read every single story Jessica Reed edits or recommends! (Note: this was my whole day yesterday!)
Pronatalism is big now. Yes, I saw the WaPo article. Now, read this.
Help Me Out!
I am exploring a story on people who’ve gone back to church (or synagogue, mosque, etc) after the election. Are you or someone you know in that boat?
DM me please!!
xxoo
Emi
Hi Emi it’s always great to hear from you. On your question about going back to church after the election I’ll go right to the point, everybody better pray to God because it’s all we have left. If you or I get convicted of a felony we can’t own a gun, vote, and will have a tough time even getting a job…only in America can you be president with many convictions so yes you better pray we survive this mob boss old maggot mentality
Wow, this exact debate - city vs. suburbs - is very much my thing right now. Glad you posted! Going to watch now.