Could You Ever Choose Your Parents?

Could You Ever Choose Your Parents?

“Oh, my God, why am I not good looking, a poor, slow learner, suffer asthma, diabetes, cancer, ... I never asked to be born. Why be born if you should inherit the poor, undesirable qualities of your parents?”  So said a thouhtful young girl.

Pak Arif: “Then blame your parents. Forbid them to marry, or forbid them to have children.”

Young girl: “What if handsome men marry beautiful women, the smart, with the smart, the healthy with the healthy, their children would be beautiful, clever, healthy, ... Or have an Indonesian marry one of the West or marry a Chinese, ... Children of mixed parents are very goodlooking and they are often chosen as a model in a magazine or to play in a cinetron.”

Pak Arif: “Yet someday in the future, people would be able to give birth to children with good qualities by regulating the DNA before birth so they don’t suffer from undesirable inherited deceases, illnesses. They also would be able to determine the sex.”

“Would you prefer to be born according to your parent’s discretion or according to your own choice, wishes? Except you ever could choose your parents. What if your parents are cats? You willing-, unwillingly must be born a cat. Ha, ha.” So si Upik interupted.

Pak Arif: “But at least, I believe, Man is created that magnificent that he still could manage, be able to improve himself to become - more or less - to what he wants, desires. A blind man can learn, practise himself till he can “see” by means of his touch, and hearing.”

December 2011