Kobayashi Maru = You’re Screwed
The Kobayashi Maru test is one bit of Trek lore that has become part of the vernacular. It describes a no-win scenario, a situation that has no positive solution. It is a test of a commander’s character.
Raising a baby presents many Kobayashi Maru-ish situations. Moments when there is no easy answer, no more tricks to try. My precious baby girl is screaming at the top of her lungs and there is nothing I can do. She’s clean, she’s fed, she isn’t running a temperature or teething. She’s just wailing at the top of her lungs and all my wife and I can do is comfort her and deal.
In the past few days, we’ve been dealing with Evie’s first cold. Snot, phlegm, sore throat—the works. First time parents, you’ll find this out eventually: there’s very little you can do to mitigate the common cold symptoms of a baby. With the exception of Baby Tylenol for fever, there are virtually no medications at your disposal. You’re left with saline nasal drops and aspirators to clean out the nose, a humidifier, and Vicks BabyRub. That’s pretty much it.
One word: helpless.
I have a particularly difficult time with it. I’m always looking for a procedure to follow, a method that I can employ to make things better, but there isn’t one. Baby Momma is way better than I am at handling this.
Sometimes life gives you a big sh*t sandwich, and all you can do with it is take a bite.
And, yes, there will be many more moments like these, times when Evie will get hurt and we’ll be unable to take the pain away, no matter how much we’ll want to. More opportunities to build character.
