For those of you awful people who are not as ridiculously in love with the Harry Potter series as I am, the main antagonist in the series is Voldemort. He is the epitome of evil and the source of great distress in the wizarding world. Due to his power and the fear he has invoked, he is almost always referred to as "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" rather than Voldemort.
Harry, however, always refers to him as Voldemort. In the second book when Harry first meets Lucius Malfoy, Malfoy comments on this and Hermione retorts with, "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
It is this fear of a name/thing that I would like to take to light today.
I'll start you off super easy... and you probably already saw this one coming...
underwear!
Chonies. Bras. Whatever else people wear that is beside the point of this post...
Last night I was in the middle of doing laundry when I had to leave for the evening. When I returned I walked in my room to discover one of my shirts covering a pile of bras on my bed. I was a little bit confused since I didn't remember leaving my clothes like that but I started putting my clothes away anyways. I mean, I didn't really have any other choice unless I wanted to scream, "Am I crazy?!" but even for me I think that's a little over the top. A couple minutes later one of my roommates walked in and told me she had moved my shirt because they had some boys over that like to randomly walk into bedrooms so she did it as a precaution. I didn't laugh but I kind of wanted to. I appreciate the gesture. I really do but I've never understood the need to hide your bedroom if its a little bit dirty or you have some underwear laying around. Everyone wears bras. Well, girls do. Hopefully not boys although I've seen a few that it wouldn't hurt.
Point is, its just underwear. Why do people feel like its such a taboo thing they should hide?
Next.... unwanted relatives AKA Uncle Tom and Aunt Flo AKA your period!
Seriously, am I at least making you the slightest bit uncomfortable? I hope this post reaches that point.. its kind of my goal.
Girls are almost always super hush hush about their (or a friend's) period. It's kind of annoying. Especially as a girl although I know for a fact boys find it slightly stupid as well.
Example: I'm on duty at EFY making sure the kids don't go back to their dorms during lunch and 3 girls walk up. Me: "Hey girls, where ya going?" Girls: "We just need to go get something from our room." Me: "You need your counselor with you to go back to the dorms right now." Girls: "She said it was okay. I just need to get something PERSONAL out of my room." Me: "Here's a tampon. Go take care of it."
Awkward? Only if you make it awkward. Usually, no big deal. And just think of how much time we could have saved if they had simply walked up and said, "I need a tampon." BAM. Done.
Or from a boy's perspective--- they are fed lame excuses to avoid the simple phrase of "She's on her period." It's that easy. They don't care. They have sisters and if they don't.. its not like they're not aware.
The thing is... just say things how they are and don't freak out that its awkward unless you add things like, "OM! This is soooooooo embarrassing.... blah blah blah.... giggle giggle.. *whispered secret*"
Next: Divorce.
This topic has a lot of different situations in which people feel the need to play the hush hush you-know-what game. The one that first comes to my mind is when people first realize your parents are divorced. You usually get a reply similar to, "Oh... I'm sorry. How old were you? [reply] Oh.. ok." End of topic.
It's really not that big of a deal unless it was extremely recent and the "child" was deeply emotionally attached to both parents. People get divorced. Actually, MOST people get divorced. Sadly, it is a percentage that continues to increase.
The thing is, most are used to it so for a majority of the time, you can refer to divorce normally. It is sad and you shouldn't accept it as an okay thing, but don't act like it is something rare and super secretive that shouldn't be talked about.
If a handicap kid is late for class are you allowed to call him tardy?
Yes, handicap.
This picture is of Jeff and Emily Griffin-- my first EFY session directors and two people I look up to.
Brother Griffin is paralyzed from the waist down and spends his time in a wheel chair. But he has accepted that. As do most people that are "different." If someone has a birth mark on their face and you don't know what it is-- just ask. They're used to it. Maybe be a little bit more tactful than saying, "What's wrong with your face?!" Like I said before, it is only awkward if you make it awkward. Simply saying something straight out or asking an honest question is not often going to lead to an awkward conversation.
And the grand finale-- SEX!
Sex. Not "more than kissing." Don't refer to sex as "it." Don't give someone that winky face and assume they know what you mean. Do not pull the human version of old fashioned movies where you hit the sex scene and all you see are curtains blowing in the wind. Just say it. Sex. In fact, yell it. It makes a fabulous game when bored walking around ASU to yell out "awkward" words, starting with saying them quietly and then 1-upping the person next to you by saying it louder.
Life is based off of sex. It is extremely common and pretty much everyone in their lifetime will have sex at least once or ya know, a million times. It's not dirty. It's not gross. It's beautiful.
Just say things for how they are. Be brave when faced with something that should not be scary at all.
Harry, however, always refers to him as Voldemort. In the second book when Harry first meets Lucius Malfoy, Malfoy comments on this and Hermione retorts with, "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
It is this fear of a name/thing that I would like to take to light today.
I'll start you off super easy... and you probably already saw this one coming...
underwear!
Chonies. Bras. Whatever else people wear that is beside the point of this post...
Last night I was in the middle of doing laundry when I had to leave for the evening. When I returned I walked in my room to discover one of my shirts covering a pile of bras on my bed. I was a little bit confused since I didn't remember leaving my clothes like that but I started putting my clothes away anyways. I mean, I didn't really have any other choice unless I wanted to scream, "Am I crazy?!" but even for me I think that's a little over the top. A couple minutes later one of my roommates walked in and told me she had moved my shirt because they had some boys over that like to randomly walk into bedrooms so she did it as a precaution. I didn't laugh but I kind of wanted to. I appreciate the gesture. I really do but I've never understood the need to hide your bedroom if its a little bit dirty or you have some underwear laying around. Everyone wears bras. Well, girls do. Hopefully not boys although I've seen a few that it wouldn't hurt.
Point is, its just underwear. Why do people feel like its such a taboo thing they should hide?
Next.... unwanted relatives AKA Uncle Tom and Aunt Flo AKA your period!
Seriously, am I at least making you the slightest bit uncomfortable? I hope this post reaches that point.. its kind of my goal.
Girls are almost always super hush hush about their (or a friend's) period. It's kind of annoying. Especially as a girl although I know for a fact boys find it slightly stupid as well.
Example: I'm on duty at EFY making sure the kids don't go back to their dorms during lunch and 3 girls walk up. Me: "Hey girls, where ya going?" Girls: "We just need to go get something from our room." Me: "You need your counselor with you to go back to the dorms right now." Girls: "She said it was okay. I just need to get something PERSONAL out of my room." Me: "Here's a tampon. Go take care of it."
Awkward? Only if you make it awkward. Usually, no big deal. And just think of how much time we could have saved if they had simply walked up and said, "I need a tampon." BAM. Done.
Or from a boy's perspective--- they are fed lame excuses to avoid the simple phrase of "She's on her period." It's that easy. They don't care. They have sisters and if they don't.. its not like they're not aware.
The thing is... just say things how they are and don't freak out that its awkward unless you add things like, "OM! This is soooooooo embarrassing.... blah blah blah.... giggle giggle.. *whispered secret*"
Next: Divorce.
It's really not that big of a deal unless it was extremely recent and the "child" was deeply emotionally attached to both parents. People get divorced. Actually, MOST people get divorced. Sadly, it is a percentage that continues to increase.
The thing is, most are used to it so for a majority of the time, you can refer to divorce normally. It is sad and you shouldn't accept it as an okay thing, but don't act like it is something rare and super secretive that shouldn't be talked about.
If a handicap kid is late for class are you allowed to call him tardy?
Yes, handicap.
Brother Griffin is paralyzed from the waist down and spends his time in a wheel chair. But he has accepted that. As do most people that are "different." If someone has a birth mark on their face and you don't know what it is-- just ask. They're used to it. Maybe be a little bit more tactful than saying, "What's wrong with your face?!" Like I said before, it is only awkward if you make it awkward. Simply saying something straight out or asking an honest question is not often going to lead to an awkward conversation.
And the grand finale-- SEX!
Sex. Not "more than kissing." Don't refer to sex as "it." Don't give someone that winky face and assume they know what you mean. Do not pull the human version of old fashioned movies where you hit the sex scene and all you see are curtains blowing in the wind. Just say it. Sex. In fact, yell it. It makes a fabulous game when bored walking around ASU to yell out "awkward" words, starting with saying them quietly and then 1-upping the person next to you by saying it louder.
Life is based off of sex. It is extremely common and pretty much everyone in their lifetime will have sex at least once or ya know, a million times. It's not dirty. It's not gross. It's beautiful.
Just say things for how they are. Be brave when faced with something that should not be scary at all.
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