That's a Little Personal, Don't You Think?

I let people ask me just about anything with little hesitation in my response. Sure you could "Think before you speak," but why, when you can just be tactless and reckless? No, really, I rarely ever say, "I don't want to talk about that" or "I can't answer that," because it just seems so ... unfriendly.

Anyway, I've noticed in the last few months I've been asked several questions, that frankly, seem a bit frank. The kind of questions I would feel uncomfortable asking someone else.

"Was this a planned pregnancy?"

"Had you been trying for a while?"

"Are you planning on breastfeeding?"

95% of the time, I tell myself these questions are of a polite, curious nature, but every once in a while (I guess 5% of the time, for those counting), perhaps when the hormones are going, I get a bit pink in the cheeks answering these questions. This especially applies to that last one. If I say, "No way, man, I'm nobody's drink dispenser!", people will think I'm a jerk. If I say, "Of course I'll breastfeed! Excuse me, I have to return to my knitting now", do they take that to mean I'm part of the ultra-traditional club of mothers (and believe me, it's there) who look down on the bottle-feeding mamas?

Then there are questions that seem to have more than one answer, but actually, do not.

Example: "Do you care if you have a boy or girl?"

"In fact, I do. If we have a daughter, I'll move to China, so everyone will sympathize with my situation when I dump her at the orphanage. Who's got money for a dowry, nowadays?!?"

Chances of this answer going over well are slim (unless you are, in fact, in China ... or India). There is only one right answer ("I would love either!" *gush*), so I'm starting to wonder why people ask the question. Perhaps, in some odd way, they would like to hear a barbaric answer; at least then things could get interesting.