My latest afternoon read was, My Little Red Book, by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff. It's a collection of "first period stories." Seriously, I picked it up off the shelf at Borders and I couldn't put it down. There are quite a few stories that had me laughing out loud--and even more that I actually nodded my head in understanding and empathy.
Seriously, IS there woman who didn't read all of Judy Blume's books? When I got my period I would have paid a million dollars to have it just "go away." It was such a sign that I really was going to have to be a girl, with all the girl problems that go along with it. It wasn't a sign that I was going to be able to have children--it's probably for the best, it took me until I was 30 to convince myself that it might be a good idea. I saw it as another reason that I wasn't going to be able to measure up for my dad--or that I might have something in common with my mother (the worst possible thing in the world at the time). My "preparation" amounted to a book titled, Becoming You with sketches of a circle falling out of a triangle. Oh, and it mentioned that Heavenly Father sure did love me for being a virtuous woman. Well, good thing that I didn't need anything more than that??!! Thanks to all my book-learnin', I wasn't brave enough to put a tampon in for a whole YEAR! I thought that Toxic Shock Syndrome was going to kill me for sure...although, once I did use them I figured that I would rather die than go back to the massive Kotex pads that mom used.
Did anybody else pour over Seventeen magazine for helpful tips? Oh, after reading this book I know that there are probably about 300 of you per square mile.
This book is worth reading--if for no other reason than it will make you feel included in a worldwide association with every other woman on the planet. You will finally feel normal. I'm giving it an enthusiastic feminist two-thumbs up. And feel free to post your own "." story in the comments...it's very cathartic.
7 comments:
I need to get this book!
Bodily functions were not discussed in my family. When I was in 6th grade, we saw a very obtuse filmstrip about "our bodies" that was more freaky than informative. It was a very bad cartoon that seemed like an inside joke that I couldn't understand.
One day, I woke up and there was sludge on my undies. Not the bright red blood that I expected from all the commercials on TV and gossip at school. I thought something was wrong with me.
My mother had had a "female cancer" when I was younger. That was all that we were told as kids. She went away for surgery and grandma lived with us for awhile. This was all I could think of.
For a very stressful 3 days of my pubescent life, I thought I had cancer and was dying.
It wasn't until the 2nd period that my mom saw my laundry and had a "girl chat" with me.
Tampons didn't come for a couple years, as my mother never used those "modern and unsafe" things.
I, too, was presented with a couple of books to read when it came time to be schooled in the birds, bees, and workings of the female anatomy. Well, not so much presented with books, as found them lying on the dining room table, clearly placed for me to see. Between that and the maturation program, I was all set. :) I will say that my mom was very compassionate when I started my period. I think she sensed my panic.
Just the other day my mom told me the experience my grandmother had when she started her period. She started for the first time just before going swimming in the canal with some older girl friends. She had never before heard about what was happening to her, but they assured her it would be fine to go swimming first, and then go tell her mom. So after swimming, she met her mother (my great-grandmother, Virginia) in the 2-seater outhouse, and told her that she had started her "cycle." Or whatever they called it back then. This was her mother's profound response:
"Well, what are you going to do about it?"
How sad is that?! I think this was the start of my grandmother being the independent, strong woman she is. And I am so grateful that times have CHANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe I should get this book for my grandma.
I haven't had a period since getting pregnant with Zain. Ha ha hah ah ahahahahah aha hahahha hha haha hahahahahahah~!!!!!!
This is truly the best time of my life!
I feel like it is God's way of saying, "Hey, yeah, sorry about allllllllll of that . . . go ahead and take a break now."
And I, with a sigh and a smile, say, "thank you!"
I will be checking this book out.
When I told mom that I had started my period she said,"Well, there's some pads and tampons in the cupboard," That was it. Good thing the box of tampons came with instructions. I am not looking forward to the day when I stop nursing and have to deal with "it" again.
I saw the author of this book on Rachel Ray the other day. Looks like I'll have to check it out.
Did anyone see the Dateline (maybe it was 20/20?) with the moms who breast-fed their 8, 9, 10, even an 11 year old!? My jaw was hanging the whole story - and I was so confused! But maybe, just maybe, those women had another reason for never weaning...
(BTW, when the 11 year old got braces, she stopped on her own . . .)
...I had to look up the 20/20 episode.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=6551439&page=1
The comments (pages and pages of them) are just as interesting as the article.
My mom wasn't very open either. It must have been the generation. It took until college to figure out tampons--uggh. Imagine drillteam and everything during high school without them. Memories I want to forget FOREVER! My oldest daughter will be 9 and I've heard that I need to start talking to her about these "fun" times. HELP!
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