My professor told a story at class this week...she was running a course with some administrators from around the U.S. and one woman from Ohio who was a newly appointed principal at a high school told how she walked into her school and saw, proudly displayed, a graduation requirement for all of the senior girls.
Any guesses?
Here's another hint- it was a small agrarian town, and many of the teachers had been at that school for years and years. Only the girls had to do this requirement. And it was something on display.
Are you running through the possibilities in your head? She made us guess, and we came close, but were a bit flabbergasted when we learned the truth....ready for it?
Men's boxer shorts.
That's right. The graduation requirement for the girls was that they could sew a pair of men's boxers. And their final projects were displayed in the foyer.
I'm sure you are thinking, as we were, that this must have been awhile ago. At least thirty years ago....nope. This was in 2000.
Crazy, right?
This story made me appreciate my Connecticut high school experience.
Then, my friend--my friend who is my age, whose wedding I was in, who is taking this class with me--my friend tells me that they found cancer cells on her uterus.
She isn't quite ready to become pregnant, but we have been talking lately about how she is closer and closer to that point. And, she is the friend who is ALWAYS sensitive to my situation....she always prefaces her conversations about getting pregnant by saying "who knows, it could take awhile..." and I have to say, I love her for it. So hearing this news....well... it kinda punched me in the gut. And of course, her biggest concern, the question she kept asking the nurse was "can I have children?" Which, of course, no one can answer yet...so...for a lack of anything else to do, I did the only thing I could think of....offered her anything she needed. And said a prayer for her. And while I was at it, I said thank you--for even in the midst of our pregnancy struggle, I am one lucky girl.
Nothing like a little perspective in your life....
3 comments:
I was glad to see a new post here - I've missed the updates and it's always good to hear what's new in your life.
And you're right - getting a little perspective sometimes can be a wonderful thing.
Good luck to her, I hope it goes well. Good reminder to get your yearly Pap smear.
On the lighter side... boxer shorts? Boxer shorts? I can't imagine a period in time when that would have ever been appropriate.
yikes...that is very sobering
i would have failed that class
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