Destiny's Child

Haven’t we talked of destiny for years in theories, movies, songs, etc…John O’Sullivan’s Manifest Destiny and even OB1 Kenobi got into this destiny talk with Luke. We all should be experts on the subject by now, right? In my humble opinion, I think that some higher power does have the ultimate plan all laid out for each of us. But really, regardless of what your beliefs are, I think that it is best to leave well enough alone and enjoy what life has to offer. Just think, can you imagine me any more of a worrywart than I already am if I thought I could change my destiny? Then I’d have to tell my husband that I was born a Skywalker and that would mess up so many things.

Obviously the Chinese and I don’t necessarily see eye to eye on this point. The Chinese think that this year (the year of the Golden Pig) is especially lucky – and one of the reasons why every other Chinese woman walking down the street is pregnant. They think their child and in turn their entire family will have luck and wealth because of the date, day, and time the family chooses for this child to be born. Note that I say, they CHOOSE the child’s birth date and schedule a c-section (China has about 60% c-section rate, and higher in urban areas). Are they changing destiny or was this the baby’s destiny to begin with – so confusing – I’m getting a headache.

I realize that we all have our superstitions and lucky charms and sometimes many of us think we can change or improve our destiny with a little luck. But whether you believe in God, destiny, or whatever… If you do believe that your life has a plan of some sort, how far are you willing to go to tweak it? Do you think if your parents chose your birth date your life would be better or worse? This could be the ultimate nature versus nurture discussion.

A very abrupt European gentleman came in with his daughter in law (who is Chinese – his wife is also Chinese) on Friday. He tells me he is an expert on C-sections (he has seen his wife’s so naturally he is an expert) and wants to talk to the MD about performing a c-section on a particular date and time with a certain kind of incision. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes as I walked him into our head OB MD’s office. He proceeded to talk to the MD and explained his future grandson’s destiny based on numerology charts by being born on August whatever… As our MD calculated it out, it meant that this joker wanted the doctor to perform the c-section on his daughter in law at 34 weeks pregnant – a full 6 weeks before her official due date and a good 3 weeks premature.

I held my breath as this discussion went forward and knowing that if our doctor agreed, that I was putting in my resignation letter. Much to my relief, he actually told the guy he was nuts and he wouldn’t do it. However, he wrote down a name of another OB/Gyn in town that if you paid him a little under the table (I found out later how common this is in China – gasp to think where else this may happen) that he will do the c-section on whatever date and time you request – regardless of gestation of the child to be born. In talking to our MD about this afterwards, he explained how often he gets this (scary!) – and it will only be worse this year - so I added, why don’t I just get you a pig suit that you can dress up in for every c-section this year and that way you can charge extra? To profit from destiny? …I shutter.