Raising Arizona

“Her loins were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase.”

Aaah Raising Arizona... A classic comedy about a couple’s unstoppable desire for family, no matter what the stakes. But strangely enough, infertility never crossed my mind..until last night when I watched it again for the first time in 20 years. “Ed”, played brilliantly by Holly Hunter, is deemed “barren” by her doctor and spirales into an abyss of depression. Then there’s the part I remember – they steal one of a set of quintuplets with the notion that they have more baby than they can handle, and surely they wouldn't notice if one went missing (a win-win no?)

I recall watching this movie in Grade 12, and I probably glazed over the word “barren” without giving it a second thought. I’m not even sure I would have known what it meant. It’s amazing how blind we are to things that don’t affect us personally. They cease to exist in our tiny little bubbles - until they do - and then it's like we’re the only person to ever have fallen victim.

But at the stupid (and fertile) age of 17, I thought nothing of it. It didn’t exist in my tiny world of happiness, hormones and boys…and I was too pleased with my own existence to ponder any future possibilities. I’m not even sure I could have felt empathy for someone who may have struggled from it, and felt the loss I currently feel every day. It just wasn’t something I could relate to. Now I watch that movie with a whole new set of eyes wide open… It's an over-exaggerated, campy and hilarious version of what Chris and I are currently going through. Unfortunately for Ed and Hi, their fertility options were slim to none, forcing them to take matters into their own hands. Thank god for 22 years, modern medicine and a decent income…the *legal* options are a lot broader.