It's That Time of the Month

Today, I want to talk about a subject that has a bleeding need to be talked about. A subject that many find disgusting and untoward to even mention. A thing, natural and healthy, but nevertheless seen as a lesser part of the human condition and something that has ostracized many of the female gender for centuries. If you guessed menstruation, then you are on par with me. If you guessed something else, then you may be a part of the problem. I have lived in a house with a sister and mom for two decades, and I have plenty of female friends and so often I have seen situations where no one wants to talk about periods. I have seen situations where the subject was avoided so much that the females around me were just seen as “a grumpy bitch” instead of people talking about what was really going on and trying to provide comfort for the person. And if you’re a female, you have probably heard any number of horror stories about how someone’s first period came and they didn’t know what was going on or it came and they weren’t ready. I as a male cannot believe some of the stories, but if I were a female, it would slightly terrify me. But that is not what this ramble is about. No. This ramble is about normalizing periods. Let’s talk about them, and I mean everyone. Men, women, young adults, and definitely people who are in charge of other people. I’m looking at you teachers. You know the ones that won’t let a young teen use the restroom any time they need to. Of course they are taking their purse to the restroom, why is it a big deal. I am also looking at the single dads out there. Just because you don’t have the parts, doesn’t mean your daughter shouldn’t learn about what inevitably is going to be a part of her monthly routine. I can understand maybe you don’t want to learn THAT much about the female anatomy, although it can prove useful. It is still no excuse. Get a female you trust to have a talk with your daughter. They need to know this stuff. Because it can be embarrassing and even potentially unsafe if they don’t know how their systems work and they start using tampons and pads without guidance. And for the love of God, can we please stop being in that “go live in a hut for two weeks” mentality of the Salem Witch trials. Periods are a normal thing. They happen to most every female and it is a perfectly healthy process the female body goes through. There is no need to shame someone for something they cannot control, and sometimes the “period control” products out there are useless, dangerous, and even painful by some anecdotes. Personally, I think if we normalize such a “vulgar” process then society as a whole can become a much better place to exist in. Period. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.