A Child

The news this morning was once again all about the Penn State child molestation scandal. Over the past two days I’ve seen interviews with every type of person that just might have an opinion on the case. Faculty, students, football players and even psychologists have all chimed in with their reasoning of what should happen next. But all they really end up talking about is if it was fair or not to fire the longtime football coach. Don’t get me wrong, I love football, but is this really what the case is about; A man’s job?

Personally I think that if there was any indication of a cover up of a crime against children everyone involved should be fired, but that is just my opinion, and it is really no more important than the others I’ve seen on the news. But this morning I saw an interview with a young female college student that (for me) put it all in perspective. She stated that she just could not understand why the school would not let the coach finish out the season, or at least coach the last home game. It was, after all, senior day and he is not accused of molesting anybody! What I understand is that, from where she stands, she is correct. She is simply stating the opinion of a woman that has never had a child.

Having one of your own changes everything. I try not to tell childless people this because I hated it when, before becoming a parent, people told me. But it’s true. Parenthood gives you license to worry for other people’s children and to feel for the parents when something goes wrong. Maybe license is not the right word; I think it activates something stored inside of you that you can’t turn off; it flips a switch. It lights a flame that is extremely fragile, but impossible to extinguish. A flame that has the ability to keep you warm at night or burn your house to the ground.

I remember feeling exactly the same way about children as the young college student, and I think she should be forgiven. I don’t think trying to explain the difference between the love she feels for her family and friends and the love of a child will do any good; it did no good for me. You must live it. None of us will be there to tell her I told you so, and I wouldn’t want to anyway. She will remember the interview one day, and while she will be proud of her fifteen minutes of fame, she will be realize that she didn’t quite have enough information to make the best decision.