I've never been one to strive for money. When I was in high school and made a list of priorities, having a job that "benefited society" was higher on the list than making six figures. I never really saw the need for more than average. (I truly believe that the more you get, the more it will take to surprise, please, or satisfy you. Living at the status quo just helps to keep me grounded and blissfully happy with a 2 bedroom, 1 bath. And I am!) But when photos of Sandra Bullock and her new little one came out in the press, I suddenly had a change of heart: money is good. Money can buy you the one thing that all people should have for free (well, barring medical costs): a child. I mean, I know people who have conceived without so much as a $12.00 bar tab and a taxi ride home. Ooops! Conception. Some didn't incur any additional costs at all. "We just started trying…and, boom! Pregnant." What? No specialist? No expensive prescription drugs? No half-dozen volumes of misguided pregnancy books? No uncomfortable and overpriced (it's just a syringe, man, I used to do that to sheep for less than 50 bucks) medical procedures? That's unreal. No, it's more than that; it's a downright bargain. Infertility? Now, that's another story. When you add up all the costs (and we're not even talking emotional costs, here), it gets to be a very expensive problem, as all medical problems are. Money can usually solve all problems, and this is no exception. If we were just one tax bracket higher, a few IVFs and possibly even a surrogate would be no problem. But here in the lowlands of the economic ladder? It's a big problem. Unless we want to clothe our kids in gunny sacks and feed them rice and water, we're going to have to seriously consider the cost of treatment. The cost of motherhood for other women? Finite. For me? Immeasurable. Hey Sandra, if you ever want to throw a few thousand my way, I wouldn't say "no."
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