I am tired, irritable and I just can't accomplish anything. Why? I have cramps. That's right- it's my time of the month. I am debilitated by pains in the tummy, a lasting headache, and general fatigue. It's no fun.
Every month, I start to feel achy. I snap at my husband and my mom more than usual. My appetite is even less than usual (I'm not a good eater). Without fail, I think to myself, 'I wonder if I'm getting sick.' I get my period with perfect regularity every four weeks. So, you would think I would be totally prepared for it each time. For some reason, I'm not. I'm in a constant, deep, subconscious denial.
I have a theory that this denial is a part of my coping mechanism-- one that every woman has. Even though it's really unfortunate to have to deal with everything involving this beneficent natural process, in a way, it's pretty empowering. Can you imagine how men would handle being sick, without fail, every month, for five to seven days? Not very well. Yet we do it. We live our lives and for the most part, perform just as well no matter what time of the month it is. As I started this post, I said I wasn't being productive. Yet the reality is I got a hell of a lot done today. I conceived of a new hairstyle this morning (I'm really into bobby pins lately). I attended and contributed greatly to three long, involved conference calls, wrote up formal documents, and reached some tricky agreements with co-workers. I made dinner (pesto rack of lamb and garlic cheddar mashed potatoes) for me and my husband. I had a nice chat with my brother. I checked in with my mother. I played with my dog. I was productive. I felt less capable today, slower, more sluggish maybe, but I don't think anyone other than myself or my girlfriends would have noticed. I performed as well as I do on most days. I internally whined about my period for about twelve seconds. Then I got up, took some Advil, made my bed, and put the tea on.
So back to the coping mechanism. If at the first sign of trouble, I started to freak out, and thought 'it's coming! what a bummer', I would totally psyche myself out and maybe I would actually be less productive. So I protect myself from that kind of thinking. (Or I'm just really thick. Whatever, I like my theory.) I don't think a man could do the same thing. If a man was dealing with my physical state, he'd likely stay in his pajamas and bitch. And we face related roadblocks all the time. Men assuming we're more emotional, dealing with us differently, being less comfortable around us in the workplace, having a hard time getting over our pretty faces or cute butts. Yet women can accomplish anything they want to in the professional world. And they do, every day. Isn't that amazing?
Every month, I start to feel achy. I snap at my husband and my mom more than usual. My appetite is even less than usual (I'm not a good eater). Without fail, I think to myself, 'I wonder if I'm getting sick.' I get my period with perfect regularity every four weeks. So, you would think I would be totally prepared for it each time. For some reason, I'm not. I'm in a constant, deep, subconscious denial.
I have a theory that this denial is a part of my coping mechanism-- one that every woman has. Even though it's really unfortunate to have to deal with everything involving this beneficent natural process, in a way, it's pretty empowering. Can you imagine how men would handle being sick, without fail, every month, for five to seven days? Not very well. Yet we do it. We live our lives and for the most part, perform just as well no matter what time of the month it is. As I started this post, I said I wasn't being productive. Yet the reality is I got a hell of a lot done today. I conceived of a new hairstyle this morning (I'm really into bobby pins lately). I attended and contributed greatly to three long, involved conference calls, wrote up formal documents, and reached some tricky agreements with co-workers. I made dinner (pesto rack of lamb and garlic cheddar mashed potatoes) for me and my husband. I had a nice chat with my brother. I checked in with my mother. I played with my dog. I was productive. I felt less capable today, slower, more sluggish maybe, but I don't think anyone other than myself or my girlfriends would have noticed. I performed as well as I do on most days. I internally whined about my period for about twelve seconds. Then I got up, took some Advil, made my bed, and put the tea on.
So back to the coping mechanism. If at the first sign of trouble, I started to freak out, and thought 'it's coming! what a bummer', I would totally psyche myself out and maybe I would actually be less productive. So I protect myself from that kind of thinking. (Or I'm just really thick. Whatever, I like my theory.) I don't think a man could do the same thing. If a man was dealing with my physical state, he'd likely stay in his pajamas and bitch. And we face related roadblocks all the time. Men assuming we're more emotional, dealing with us differently, being less comfortable around us in the workplace, having a hard time getting over our pretty faces or cute butts. Yet women can accomplish anything they want to in the professional world. And they do, every day. Isn't that amazing?
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