It's your choice, totally.
I knew that if I did not go through with it this time, no one would do the abortion. I was too far along.
So I did it.
I went to sleep with a baby and woke up without one. Groggy. Unsure about everything. Everything in the whole world.
People think abortion is such an easy choice–they say, “Don’t use abortion as birth control.” Any woman who has had one will tell you how that is such crazy talk. Because an abortion is terrible. You never stop thinking about the baby you killed. You never stop thinking about the guy you were with when you killed the baby you made with him. You never stop wondering.
So the second time I got pregnant, I thought of killing myself. My career was soaring. I was 30 and I felt like I had everything going for me – great job, great boyfriend, and finally, for the first time ever, I had enough money to support myself. I hated that I put myself in the position of either losing all that or killing a baby.
I didn’t tell anyone I was pregnant. I knew what they’d say.
So I completely checked out emotionally. I scheduled the abortion like I was on autopilot. I told my boyfriend at the last minute and told him not to come with me.
He said forget it. He’s coming with me.
I remember staring at the wall. Telling myself to stop thinking of anything.
The doctor asked me, “Do you understand what’s going to happen?”
I said yes. That’s all I remember.
I got two abortions to preserve my career. To keep my options open. To keep my aspirations within reach.
She went to sleep, and woke up a murderess.
Try living with that.
I went on autopilot when I got pregnant too, but the Church was the autopilot.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could get this across to people better. It's a very rare person who makes decisions in extremis. People just do what they're told when things are hard and confusing. So you have to set up who you're going to listen to when your rational brain is working. Obedience isn't just a virtue, it's often default behavior, especially for women. You just do what you think you're supposed to do. Make sure you put yourself under the right shepherd BEFORE the wolves come. - Karen