Discovering Myself
I was remembering when my period started and thinking what a nightmare. I was eleven when the big event occurred. I am not one to complain, but let’s face it when you roll around in a wheelchair and need assistance with personal care being a girl having a monthly visitor was not convenient. I always dreaded the monthly curse. I would get more pimples on my face and have terrible cramps. I also remember in high school one of my friends taught me about tampons and the tampon became my new monthly best friend. I had no problem filling up a sized B cup bra. I felt like a total misfit, I always thought everyone could tell when you had your period. High School was not the easiest of times for me. I lived in a group home and being physically challenged, I became extremely depressed and tried to commit suicide in tenth grade. My father signed me in the hospital and this was the best thing that could happen for me.
During my stay in the hospital working with the psychologist daily I learned to deal with my parents and most important I learned to accept and like myself for the first time. I learned how to get all my anger out and tell my parents how mad I was at them for treating my sister and myself terrible and leaving me at that group home. I would have to honestly say life is tough and being a teenager in my opinion is the worst. Girls feel under so much pressure. Society has always put this stigma on girl’s to always look beautiful, thin and be perfect in everything they do. Our Culture in the United States has come a long way even since I was in high school. Now you see two women anchors doing the nightly news, and more girls are achieving in math and science. Finally girls are being recognized for their achievements, but we still have roads to pave. I started on birth control in high school which helped with cramps and about ten years ago my doctor now put me on the Depo-Provera shot and I have not had a period since. I will admit new advancements can be wonderful.
I think in our country we put to much stigma on our bodies. Everything is so taboo. Most people are so judge mental instead of looking at themselves in the mirror they are quick to comment on what is wrong with everybody else. I see a lot of people raising their children to be so insecure. I observe people all the time who see Tuffie and I and the children want to talk to me and pet Tuffie and they are pulled away. I hear the parents say don’t bother that lady in the wheelchair. I say let them ask questions, so they can learn about disabilities and working dogs. In Europe most of the beaches are topless, in this country if a girl wears a thong on the beach a lot of people are looking. If we could just teach are children to love themselves and that there are many differences among people, but that it is ok to be different. I really liked the web-site scarleteen and about face. I would love to see more of these web sites given to teachers to pass on to teenagers. If more positive information like this was shared in public high schools it might help prevent diseases and pregnancy in teenagers. A lot of teenagers are coming from single parent homes and feel as is they have no one to talk to. This is just some of my thoughts.
Elizabeth Nesbitt
Girls Studies
During my stay in the hospital working with the psychologist daily I learned to deal with my parents and most important I learned to accept and like myself for the first time. I learned how to get all my anger out and tell my parents how mad I was at them for treating my sister and myself terrible and leaving me at that group home. I would have to honestly say life is tough and being a teenager in my opinion is the worst. Girls feel under so much pressure. Society has always put this stigma on girl’s to always look beautiful, thin and be perfect in everything they do. Our Culture in the United States has come a long way even since I was in high school. Now you see two women anchors doing the nightly news, and more girls are achieving in math and science. Finally girls are being recognized for their achievements, but we still have roads to pave. I started on birth control in high school which helped with cramps and about ten years ago my doctor now put me on the Depo-Provera shot and I have not had a period since. I will admit new advancements can be wonderful.
I think in our country we put to much stigma on our bodies. Everything is so taboo. Most people are so judge mental instead of looking at themselves in the mirror they are quick to comment on what is wrong with everybody else. I see a lot of people raising their children to be so insecure. I observe people all the time who see Tuffie and I and the children want to talk to me and pet Tuffie and they are pulled away. I hear the parents say don’t bother that lady in the wheelchair. I say let them ask questions, so they can learn about disabilities and working dogs. In Europe most of the beaches are topless, in this country if a girl wears a thong on the beach a lot of people are looking. If we could just teach are children to love themselves and that there are many differences among people, but that it is ok to be different. I really liked the web-site scarleteen and about face. I would love to see more of these web sites given to teachers to pass on to teenagers. If more positive information like this was shared in public high schools it might help prevent diseases and pregnancy in teenagers. A lot of teenagers are coming from single parent homes and feel as is they have no one to talk to. This is just some of my thoughts.
Elizabeth Nesbitt
Girls Studies
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