would be ludicrous for me to become a teenage parent. I can safely say that teen parenthood is no t for me. I do not wish to have any children at my age.

Picture if you can, me, with a son hanging on to me while I went to run, jump, and play my many games.

Becoming a teenage parent will almost ruin my chances of obtaining an education that is very necessary to survive in this day and age. Even the trash truck drivers and road sweepers are now required to have an education. I would be trying to feed and clothe my baby and get an education with minimum wage.

My parents would be devastated and this would hurt me to know that I have inflicted unnecessary pain on them. I would hurt the teenage mother of my child. I would also hurt my friends, who have placed so much confidence in me, however, more crucial, I would mostly hurt myself. I pray that I will never make this mistake.

As a teenage parent I would lose many privileges that I am now enjoying. I would be unable to continue school right away, unable to go out and socialise with my friends, not able to have money to spend on myself, no time to myself and eventually I'd get tired of the situation, but would be stuck with it for life. I would be ashamed and humiliated. That would be an awful price to pay.

Let me add that as a young man, I would try to take care of the child to the best of my ability.

I am sure that the young teenage mother that I get pregnant would suffer also.

She would have to spend most of her time taking care of our little one. She too would also have to drop out of school and her chances for completing her education would be very slim. She would have to bear the humiliation of carrying a child for nine months with her body getting larger and larger around the middle. Who knows, she may even have physical problems.

As I think about a situation of this nature, I am compelled to think about the little life of the baby as it comes into the world. My little baby will have babies for parents. Many things that I have not lived long enough to learn about, would need to come into play. My baby could be born with a serious disease. The mother may decide to take off and leave me, and my little one would be without a father, and everybody needs a father.

Because of a baby's teenage parents not knowing how to give proper guidance, that baby could grow up to become a problem child. It could become involved in the wrong company and take on drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, and pick up the AIDS virus. This child could very well become a misfit to society. As I look at a situation of this type, I realise so many people will be effected by it.

Statistics show that 47 percent keep their babies and try to raise them with the help of family members. Also, 30 percent give up the baby for adoption, and 23 problems have abortions. All this and more is why I can emphatically say, "Papa Jay? No Way''.