On being female....and feminism.

Its odd. I grew up in two Middle Eastern countries, but was raised by a nanny and a very feminist American mother. I went to a girls boarding school, where we were told in tones of great horror about how girls used to automatically be 'sick' on the first day they menstruated. The implication being that now we know better. Of course, I beg to differ. From day 1, cramps. I don't remember EVER having had a period that wasn't debilitating.

Of course I'm thinking bout this today, because I have my period. And of course this week is supposed to be busy, with rehearsals and whatnot. I'm not advocating for fainting couches and a week of swooning and declining blissfully on the couch, but gosh, I WISH it was more acceptable for women to have bad periods.

And even in these days, its still "my little friend", "that time of the month", "Aunt Flo". Commercials want us to 'have a happy period', and even the books kids read about puberty say NOTHING about cramps.

For me, real feminism is about being able to talk about this stuff. To not have to whisper out of the corner of my mouth 'its that TOM', to be able to say that some of us have hellish periods, where we are, frankly, tempted to use the kitchen knife for an at-home-hysterectomy.

Even growing up in Egypt, in some ways it was more acceptable to have periods and not be able to do everything... whereas here you are a woman, but at the same time it doesn't affect you...

This is just demented rambling, really, but somehow there is still an odd perspective on this stuff here... doctors still tell you to take Advil for the pain, or use treatments that are just horrible (I have endometriosis, and there ARE really no good treatments)...

Oh well...back to bed with my little friend, mr heating pad.