We are mostly creatures of habit and change is not in our genre. But change will come along and try our souls. It starts at a young age when us adolescent girls get a couple of physical “wake up” calls. In my book, dedicated to the fight again breast cancer, “What Ta-Tas Teach Us” (Free download from Amazon) I share my first life-lesson when my body began to change and there are reasons why we do not like change.
It was the first of two talks. The first was a two hour marathon about becoming a woman. I was in shock listening to what was fixin’ to happen. My mother became so frustrated that she told me if this monthly event did not happen, I would “go crazy.” The ultimate “zero I.Q. moment” was after two hours of THE TALK, my exhausted mother asked, “Do you understand?” “Yes,” I replied. “Do you have any questions?” “Yes.” I said. “When does Daddy do this?” In her best controlled voice her answer was, “Daddy DOES NOT do this. He shaves.
There was no way I was not going to tell my BFF. I assumed the role of the mother and gave her all the details as we walked around our tomato farm.She was as shocked about this awful change as I was. I finally said, “Do you understand?” “Yes,” she replied. “Do you have any questions?” I asked. “Yes, she said. “So how do you stop the bleeding?” Let me digress and say back then there was only one feminine protection item on the market. I got confused. “I said to my friend, “You wear a Q-Tip.”
I have no idea if I ever heard the second talk on reproduction. Stands to reason.
What I learned is that something new and different can be scary.
Sometimes the best way to handle change is to embrace it.
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Which brings me to one of my mother’s favorite jokes that has the 70’s stamped all over it. A Hippie couple was getting married and both had long hair and were wearing the same baggie clothing. The minister began the vows and realized he could not tell the man from the woman. In an attempt to determine the gender, he looked at one of the Hippies and asked, “Do you have a menstrual cycle?” “No,” replied the Hippie. “I got a Honda.”
Do you have a funny story about those early changes? Please share!
Jane Jenkins Herlong likes to make people laugh while learning timeless life lessons. You may hear her drop in a song when she speaks but Jane believes in the healing power of humor and finding the funny in dysfunction.
