The Tampon Conversation
My daughter's friend posted a joke about tampons today on Facebook. I chuckled as it gave me a flashback to when I was about 12 or 13 years old, and very innocent, circa 1969. And at that point in time, I did not know what a period was, other than what you put at the end of a sentence (thank you sisters of St. Frances) and yes, I had not gotten mine yet.
Scenario: family sitting around in the living room. Father immersed in the NY Times. Mother probably doing a cross word or reading a book. My other three siblings were scattered about in our small house, probably within hearing distance.
I am looking at a Reader's Digest, and notice an ad.
I ask out loud: "what is this thing that you can ride a horse with, swim with, do sports with....the only thing that it says is TAMPAX"? I look around and no one answers me. I don't get the hint, so I ask again. "I mean, you can do all kinds of things with this, but I don't understand what it is! There are no photos that explain!".
Again, no response. As I look around, I notice that my parents jaws are locked in the stress mode. I realize that I have entered some sort of realm that is VERBOTEN. All of a sudden I get it. The only thing that might make them act like that is something bad. Something bad equates the body, and that must equate something to do with sex, though I am not sure what sex is.
And, like any other curious teenager, I know that there is homework to do. I must investigate. And that investigation leads into uncharted territory, which of course, leads to exploration, which leads to sin. But I must go there because the drive is so strong, and I know I can't turn back.
Thankfully now, some 40 years later, I can look back on it and laugh, and chuckle about my innocence, and how silence is deadlier than truth.
Scenario: family sitting around in the living room. Father immersed in the NY Times. Mother probably doing a cross word or reading a book. My other three siblings were scattered about in our small house, probably within hearing distance.
I am looking at a Reader's Digest, and notice an ad.
I ask out loud: "what is this thing that you can ride a horse with, swim with, do sports with....the only thing that it says is TAMPAX"? I look around and no one answers me. I don't get the hint, so I ask again. "I mean, you can do all kinds of things with this, but I don't understand what it is! There are no photos that explain!".
Again, no response. As I look around, I notice that my parents jaws are locked in the stress mode. I realize that I have entered some sort of realm that is VERBOTEN. All of a sudden I get it. The only thing that might make them act like that is something bad. Something bad equates the body, and that must equate something to do with sex, though I am not sure what sex is.
And, like any other curious teenager, I know that there is homework to do. I must investigate. And that investigation leads into uncharted territory, which of course, leads to exploration, which leads to sin. But I must go there because the drive is so strong, and I know I can't turn back.
Thankfully now, some 40 years later, I can look back on it and laugh, and chuckle about my innocence, and how silence is deadlier than truth.
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