you got any kids?

so, i'm going to europa in a few days with renza sharpe, this really cool girl who i know from camp longhorn. we'll be flying in to paris and hopping around from there. i am beyond blessed to have such an opporunity, finacially and otherwise, and to have a friend like Renza!! It's been too long since we united for a time period longer than 48 hours and caused trouble together. i know we'll have lots of stories upon our return, hopefully funny in a different way than the roaches we encountered in our hostel during our first european adventure in 2006. i was only 19...gosh, we were such children.


which brings me to my point...children. kids. people seem to think i "got them."


just so your computer screens aren't too lonely while i'm gone, i'm going to share a story with you. bonnie requested that i blog about it a few months back, so...this one's for you, bon! sorry if it's long, but...i don't know how to do it any other way.



one weekend back in december, i was sitting at the bus stop, trying to get across town to the hill. (ol' bonbon was having a party...that girl is always up to something!) so i'm trying not to shiver too much and hang on to my giant bag. we were going to NYC the next day and i was spending the night with C&B. anyways, i digress.



so after about 10 minutes of waiting i decided to settle in and sit down on the bench. at this point its almost 9 p.m. and i'm on wisconsin avenue across from the safeway. two guys came out of the safeway parking lot, holding their safeway aprons and running for the bus stop.


one of them sat down next to me and kept looking over at me. i was trying to avoid eye contact becuase i was just, well, rude and not wanting to make conversation with this dude. (who i guesstimate is probably about 18 or 19.) he finally leaned towards me and asked: "do you mind if i ask what bus you're waiting for?"


i smiled and said, no, i didn't mind, i'm waiting on the first bus. he proceeds to tell me he's from V.A. (virginia.) i said something back and thought the conversation was over. while i'm pretending to text on my phone, he scoots over to me. i could feel him looking at me but kept my eyes forward as he said:

"sooo.....(long pause).... you got any kids?"


it took me a full two or three seconds to realize...he meant me. did i have any kids?



"Um, no.I don't." I smiled. Looked over at him, told myself not to be so short with him. "Do you have any kids?" I asked.


"Me, no. I ain't got no kids." Seriously, that was his answer, word for word. I. Ain't. Got. No. Kids. We were quiet for a few minutes and I was praying for the bus to hurry up .


"So...You single?" At this point, I had thought the dude was just being friendly. Now I'm beginning to realize that his opening pick-up line is... asking if i have kids. awesome.


"Haha. Um, yep, I'm single." Single as a girl can be, let me tell ya. But I wasn't about to tell him that.


"Oh, so, can I take you to dinner sometime? Cuz I would looooove to take you to dinner."


I smiled, laughed out loud. "That's very nice of you to offer, but I'm moving out-of-state really soon."


"So?" he asked.


"Well, I don't want to waste your time. But thanks for asking." Conversation over. Done. Ha.


"Why don't you let me decide if you're a waste of my time? Can I at least get your number?"


"Umm...I just really don't think I'll have time before I move."


"Oh so you been asked out a lot lately?" Define lately, buddy. Because if you mean lately as in the last few weeks, well... But if you mean lately as in ever...my answer is yes, definitely yes.

We ended up talking about Texas, and North Carolina, and his job. My bus eventually came, and I was glad to have such a ridiculous story to share at Bonnie's party. (I was even more glad that he wasn't on my same bus.)


Well, since then, its become a common theme in my life. Not only is "You got any kids??" a wonderful response in a lot of situations in life (we used it in NYC the very next day!) but it's been happening a lot lately. Now, I can not imagine a better fate than raising children, I'm counting down the days til one day I am a mom, however...


At the airport. At Bally's. During random conversations. I can't remember all the places that, since December, I've been asked if I have children. And at the same time, I have people telling me I'm not eligible to volunteer at Texas Children's Hospital because I'm obviously not yet 21 years old.

"Oh, we have a seperate program for high school students interested in volunteering." Well, that's valuable information, thank for you for sharing. I'll be sure to inform all the high school students I know after I volunteer in the adult program.


Or my favorite recently - "You've finished COLLEGE? You're kidding? But you have such a baby face!! I would have thought you were still in grade school."
Lovely. Either I am a child, or I have one. I wish the world would make up their mind.


In the meantime, I think it tops my list of all time favorite pick up lines. It's straightforward, it's something a guy needs to know, and hey... bonus points for being original.


You got any kids?