The Curse

I think it's funny how many names or words are associated with a girl's period: "the curse", "it's her time of the month" , "I got a visit from Aunt Flo", etc. When the sex education group did their presentation, the movie that they showed was about a girl getting her period for the first time. She thought it was "the curse" and if I remember correctly wasn't that fond of it. But when she first told her mother about it, her mother was so happy for her. The daughter had now become a woman. Along with growing up, there were certain things that a girl was limited to when one had their period. This movie wasn't present day, but it was interesting to see what the teacher taught to the girls in class about their menstruation cycle. The teacher stressed how important it was for the girls to look their most attractive selves when having their period. And I think I also recall a girl asking if other people know when they are having their period. The answer was no. I disagreed with some of what the teacher said, but that's just my opinion. Anyway, so if the teacher said that no one knows when a girl is on their period, wouldn't people guess something happened for a week, that the girl is much more "attractive" than other weeks in the month? I would think so. So it seems that they do want the boys to know, possibly, that the girls are having their period, because why would they tell the girls to look more attractive when they have it? Another thing I thought was funny, especially compared to now was a sign the teacher had, about the "Do's and Do Moderately During Menstruation". The things to do are showering or bathe, wash hair, swim, dance and picnic, and the things you can do moderately included skating, horseback riding, fast games, and square dancing. I think these are really funny because of what we can do now. I guess I understand that they didn't want anything to get too out of hand, or push anything, but you can dance, just not square dance? Their choices of what they should do moderately compared to what they are allowed to do are interesting choices. Another thing that was said in the movie was that a girl getting her first period is the first step of becoming a mother. That is such a huge statement, saying that girls are only meant to grow up to become mothers, nothing else. I know that this was 40 or some years old, so that was how women were portrayed, but in today's society, that would be a crazy statement to hear. Today, I am glad, that women have the right to get an education, and work just like men. And as much as menstruation cycle can not be fun, it's must happen. So hopefully it won't be a curse to all, just a reminder that we are growing up.