Shelter Show

So, the Attic Ensemble theater company, which Jethrien and I did the murder mystery with and who we've done a bunch of tech work for, has an annual tradition of doing a short children's show and Christmas caroling for several homeless shelters in the Jersey City area. I performed in the show this year ("Christmas Magic", about a wizard who learns about a magic far more powerful than his, centering entirely on holiday cheer and making no religious references), and Jethrien managed to escape work early enough to join us for caroling one of the nights.

( About the show, and the feelings it evokes )

The other train of thought, that I commented to Jethrien about, is that being an adult male interacting with other people's children in our society makes me, at best, ill-at-ease. Even the appearance of impropriety can ruin your life forever, and I'm in the number-one most "suspicious" demographic when it comes to child abuse: young-to-middle-aged adult men. Presumably it'll be different with my own kids; perhaps also with the kids of my friends or of people who I trust and who I know trust me.

Perhaps part of my obviously-ticking biological clock is the desire for a child I can hug without constant fear of overblown, unwarrented reprisal.