pennyfountain:

Why are we so ashamed of periods? … Women’s bodies are incredibly sexualized in our media and in our every day experiences. So much so that even mentioning menstruation sends a lot of people into kindergarten levels of EW. And why? Because for a moment, you have broken the spell. And suddenly, you are no longer a magical mannequin unicorn fairy existing purely for the sexual fantasy of other people. Suddenly, you’re a human being! (X)

Two things this reminds me of:

1.  I remember in Women’s Studies, one of my teachers was telling us how she went to the grocery story and saw a friend there.  This friend was another woman.  She said hi to her and stuff, and the lady responded, but then she actually tried to hide the fact that she was buying pads.  Like, “oh no I don’t want her to know I’m on my period,” and like… my teacher was so amazed, because this was a grown woman, and she didn’t want her to know her “secret.”  I mean, sure, when you’re younger, maybe?  Like I personally use to hate opening the wrapper in school because I felt like they were so loud and everyone would know and just, ugh.  And yeah, there were the ridiculous ads, including one where the package “looked like a pack of sugar” or something really stupid.  But… a grown woman?  

But yeah, we do it too.  We whisper to each other about it, like, “… psst… it started… do you have anything in your purse?”  So it’s not just men who do it, women do it too.  I’m not saying you have to blurt out to the entire room that you’re on your period, you just shouldn’t be embarrassed about it, especially if you’re around another lady because… they get it, too.

Oddly, this is like, one of the best perks of being with a lady.  It’s like, when it’s that time of the month we just, get it, like, “Oh… o.k., what do you need, let’s go get it, end of story.”

2.  Me and my dad.  O.K., so one time when I was home from college, he was going to the store and was asking what I needed.  I told him I needed pads.  He proceeded to go into how he hated buying them for me, he always has, blah blah blah.

I looked at him straight in the face like, “Why?  It’s not like they think they’re for YOU.”  I also brought up how, sometimes, I would buy cigarettes for him (like if I had the car or whatever) and how, when I buy cigarettes, people think I’m buying them for myself and give me dirty looks because, you know, 18 and buying cigarettes.  But a grown man buying pads?  Yeah, no one thinks it’s for you, dad.