Tugged with the decision to choose between two prompts, I go for the one rarely talked about by the male folks- The unexpected pregnancy.
The world at a stop....
A profuse drop of sweat ran down my friend's chin, a guy who was once composed lost his composure at the sudden news of an unexpected pregnancy. Different thoughts ran through his once idle mind and all he could envision was the stigma, the responsibility, and his reputation. His mind became clouded with thoughts, and it seemed as if the world was at a stop, nothing seemed to be right only until this predicament was taken off of him. He was 20 at the time, what could he possibly offer to this innocent child when he relied on his parents, without a second thought- He sought for an abortion.
and again....
After many years, the same incident repeated itself but this time, he was calm. No thoughts jiggling in his mind, He was 31, and was ready to father a child even though he earned just little.
Personally, I think age plays a part when it comes to such critical decisions aside from the wavering thought of stigma and responsibilities. I've told this story to picture my friend's reaction influenced by age with the same incident. Starting life with an unexpected pregnancy and a damaging reputation is a burden of shame no one wants, the thought of it could even cloud one's reasoning. But I've lived for a good number of years to know time heals. With time people would accept who you've become, time would heal the pain, time would make you realize the joy of seeing a child of your own blood, and time would pave the way for you to have enough to cater for the needs of your now formed family.
The age influence....
As we grow, our pattern of thinking begins to change. We start to desire marriage, and our decisions become more scrutinized. Personally, my current age would mandate me to keep the pregnancy. Reverse would have been the case if I was 18 or 20. My mum once told me,
Do not date a girl you can't marry
And I held onto this advice. This means, whoever I'm going into a relationship with, should be someone I can marry in a situation like this. So, age influences one's decision on this and who is currently with my pregnancy.