Mini van, mega fun.

My name is Abby, and I drive a minivan.

There. I've said it.

I drive a minivan because it just makes good sense. I have three children, all of whom ride in some form or another of a bulky carseat. Before number three came along, we had two relatively small sedans. Neither would accommodate three young children. Our van fits them and then some, in relative comfort. So why wouldn't we drive one?

Here's why.

Moments ago, I found myself driving behind another minivan (one much newer and nicer than mine). The license plate was something like this: ART CRT. Art cart, I assumed. I immediately started judging the driver of the van, thinking, "Right, you're an artist, driving a minivan like that." By "art" they surely mean stickers and finger paints, which is obviously for children. Art cart, schmart cart.

After allowing this asinine train of thought to chug through my mind, I shrunk down in my seat with the realization that I'M A TOTAL HYPOCRITE. I drive a minivan! And I call myself an artist!

So then I started to think about how others view me as I tool around in my van, lugging my children hither and thither. I know I'm not the only one who judges people for driving minivans or having oodles of children. Yet I somehow think that I'm different. Cooler, you could say.

Why is it taboo for cool people to have more than two children or drive vans that accommodate their offspring? Why does this immediately make those people uncool? Am I really responsible for the world's overpopulation? If I sacrificed having as many children as I wanted, would I really offset those born in India, China, etc? If I have several children and educate them well, aren't I really providing a service to the world, not over-burdening it?

The moral of my story, I suppose, is that if you're cool, you should have babies, lots of them, and that will make the world a cooler place. And if you have lots of babies, you should get over yourself and drive a damn minivan. And be judged like me.