As I reached for the ticket, the man handing it to me blanched. “Umm, Miss, ummm, well, umm, I think you dropped something.”
I had just reached into my, of course over crowded purse that I never clean out, much to my mother’s chagrin, and knocked out a tampon onto the sidewalk next to the theatre.
“Oh my god!” screamed an older woman who was standing in line behind me as she looked down at the tampon.
I quickly picked it up, shoved it back into my purse and quickly walked away, deciding to run around the block as opposed to heading directly into the theatre, right next to the box office, to shake off my embarrassment.
“I knew I needed to clean out my purse, my mom was right,” I thought silently to myself. My purse is constantly shoved to the brim with receipts, bits of trash, candies, my keys, lip glosses of all shades, Jubilance of course, and tampons just floating around. You never know when you’ll need one!
As I walked around the block, again trying to get to the theatre, I got angry. Who was this man to make me feel embarrassed about my period? The woman who screamed had a period too. Why was she shaming me about a bodily function, a bodily function that half the population has! In fact, it should be praised that I did have a tampon. I keep them always in my purse for those “just in case” moments or if another woman needs one. I was prepared with my tampon and I am a fabulous and powerful female.
Working at Jubilance, I talk about periods and PMS everyday at work. It took me by surprise that out of the office I regressed into my shame of having this “thing” that people don’t talk about. It’s time to open up the conversation. I’m tired of feeling guilty or even humiliated for being me, for being human, for being a woman.
Let’s continue to push people’s boundaries, to open up ideas about periods, and maybe I’ll drop a tampon on the floor on purpose next time; my period is something I’ll shout about!
