As a young child growing up the big box of Kotex under our bathroom sink was a terrible scary thing. I dreaded the day when I would have to tackle anything that remotely looked like the mega mattresses called "kotex" and I certainly didn't want to ever NEED those horrid looking long tailed monstrosities. There was nothing but fear and panic that one day those hideous things would be on my body attached with a nasty looking belt that didn't have one good thing going for it. Oh my goodness did that box make me dread maturity. Funnily enough I never had to go there. By the time I grew up and started my flow I was of the age of Obi or Tampax and it wasn't so scary. I tell you the shrinking of "The pad" was and is one of the most important discoveries for us women. It may be too gross for most to imagine but our early sexuality was greatly impacted by how we were approached and educated about "Aunt Flow". It wasn't a pretty tea and crumpets "Menarche" party for me and my sister, no way, never happened we were pretty much on our own. I got my first period at Barbra Streisand's house in Malibu. I kid you not. I was 11 and I was wearing white ditto jeans, skin tight. I was with my friend Tatum o Neal and her dad Ryan. We were there for something or other Babs and Ryan being old chums and all. I looked down at my pants and saw blood everywhere. Oh I guessed immediately what was going on with me I was mortified. I was at "her " house, and she wasn't the warmest women I have ever met. So I kept my mouth shut and my legs closed and I wrapped my sweater around myself and tried to figure out how to sit or not sit in the back seat with the gorgeous white leather interior of Ryan O' Neal's Bentley. I stood sat so I didn't get my blood on it. I was so stressed that I did not enjoy meeting Babs for the first time come to think of it ever she's just not so nice. It was a serious trauma my first moment of being a woman. UGH...This memory was sparked by a group discussion yesterday about the hideous big box of Kotex that almost every household had. How that box freaked out all of us as young women. How the thought of using one of those contraptions almost made us want to never grow up. It did me. Oh I am so pleased all of this is different for girls today and there are lovely things called Menarche celebrations and Dads are part of it too.
Ahhh progress, just in time.
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Hi Rae,
I missed this one, just reading it now. I remember those horrid things, yes I used them. Also started when I was 11 and in grade 6. I started while I was on stage doing some speaking for something. I ran out as fast as possible. I had not been told the facts of life, thought I was dying. My mum realized something was up and came to get me. She showed me how to use those ones and thank goodness for updated products. Thank goodness I'm in menopause and hardly ever have it. I don't want more kids. It can just go away for good now. Cheryl.
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