Thursday, June 21, 2012

A 1st Day of Summer Walk down Memory Lane!

I believe yesterday was the official first day; but for me, it's always the 21st because it has such significant memory attached to it.  When I was a budding young woman, on the first day of summer, you put your shoes at the foot of your bed, and that night, you'd dream of the man you'd marry.  (Some faceless male showed up in my dream that night.  But in my excitement, I didn't see the capless toothpaste tubes, rolled up undies in the corner or the sofa crotch-scratching!  If I had, I might have thunk twice about putting my shoes there the next year!)

And on June 21st 1967, I started my period for the first time.

Oh joy, oh bliss!

Not because I started my period in 1967, but because those days are over now!  I'm a much happier, little bit rounder, slightly hairier, Kotex-less version of the Sandy of old.
But I remember those younger days and what it meant to start your period in the '60's.  Do you remember those pamphlets they gave us in school after we watched "the film"?

Do you remember the belts that dug into your back and the diaper-sized napkins?  And all those silly ads telling us that it was okay to swim, play sports and wear tampons when we showered (Ewww!).  And of course, there were all those reminders to clean our nails and wear our prettiest dress on those "special days".

I'm not sure what they do in school these days.  My girls are all over 20; and I took care of telling them all about becoming a woman.  (And unlike my sister, I didn't tell them that those "things with the strings on the end" were for nose bleeds!)  I don't know if the school system still assumes a level of responsibility for informing our young people.  

But I would imagine that with today's hussle and bussle, they'd probably try to simplify even this topic.  So, I can see them showing this video which condenses the whole thing rather nicely!





For me, freedom from my monthlies comes at a cost:  I can no longer ride my bike and I've nothing to blame my bloating on.


Plus there's this unhappy fact:






PS -- I wouldn't change things though.  The money I save on sanitary products and Midol can now be spent on cheesecake and chocolate!



11 comments:

Jack Tyler said...

Koit Studios? Seriously? Obviously, I can't address Aunt Flo, but I'm pretty sure that, here in the States, at least, schools don't take responsibility for anything any more.

A cultural note about that: Growing up back in the 50s, some things were hidden from children, maybe for the better. About the only way a boy had to find out that girls didn't have outdoor plumbing too was if he had a sister he surprised in the bathroom, and even then, no one was likely to tell the little tyke what sort of accident had cost her her apparatus. So when my public school took it upon itself to teach about this reproductive ed, including menstruation, at around the age of 12, my first reaction was "You're kidding! This has been going on all around me, and I haven't noticed? Impossible!" Then I remembered all those movies from that era, where someone would get a little scratch and there'd be a drop of blood, and the men were all afraid a woman would see it and faint. Yeah? And I'd immediately think "You guys weren't listening in class, were you?" Explained for me in one 20 minute session why women were such naturals as nurses. The only question left was why all the doctors weren't women, too!

Jackie McGuinness said...

I'm a little older than you are by a couple of years.
Gawd those horrible sanitary belts, disgusting things!!

I remember my mom sending dad to buy her Kotex and the pharmacist (yes they were behind the counter) would wrap it in brown paper!!

Unknown said...

The schools give out way too much information now, the boys and girls are separated for 'the talk' and then put in the same classroom for 'the talk' again. They hand out condoms in the clinic as well. My girls were well informed long before the school system got into their heads...I haven't had a monthly since I was 25....surgery....love this post! Happy Summer...

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

There are some things good about getting older.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

A blessing for surse! Hope you have a great Thursday!

Diana said...

Great post Sandy and I so remember those God awful belts and pads! Oh how I hated those things.
I don't miss my period at all. That video was pretty funny, my teen is cramping. I'll have to show this to her. Maybe it will cheer her up but I doubt it! Love Di ♥

Pat MacKenzie said...

Thanks for reminding me why it's great to be 'a certain age'. I was so glad when that mess was over. My daughter had to have 'the talk' with her 9 year old daughter the other day because they were starting a sex ecudation section in school. I didn't know about such things till I was 14.

Anonymous said...

I was happy to say goodbye to Aunt Flo, too! Now just waiting to get rid of the heat flashes, occasional crankiness......
Those stupid sanitary belts were ridiculous indeed! Fortunately the adhesive pads came out soon after I started needing them.
Oh, and valerian - in your previous post- it's the plant they make VALIUM from! (some people use it in teas, you can get it in a supplement too at the drugstore)

wendy said...

ha ha...SO GLAD TO BE OVER IT AS WELL
crapiest thing a woman has to endure fo allllll those years.

TARYTERRE said...

I EMBRACE my old age. I do not miss those younger days, period. LOL But I worry about my granddaughter growing up and facing it all.

Pamela Gordon said...

Well, I've never seen a post about the 'period' on a blog before. Too funny. I remember my 'country cousin, George' coming for visits . UGH! And those belts and pads?? Double UGH! Glad those days are long gone. Thanks for the good chuckle!

Fibromyalgia

  Sorry! I thought I could return to a normal schedule. But my sense of 'normal' has changed. After the past 5 years of various ailm...