Hey Chris,
By your picture, I'm assuming that '72 has something to do with your age? If so, oh my gawd, I could be your mother.
That said, a funny story which happened in about '78.
Woman I was working with told us about her husband who had a boil (or some such thing) removed around his scrotum area. Quite painful, and bleed/seeped afterwards. He had to wear a kotex pad with the old fashioned belt to keep it in place for about a week (in the olden days).
She came to work and told us about it - laughingly, as no man understands the crappiness of it all. He walked around bowl-legged like he had a dirty diaper on. Complained all the time (whinning, really) about getting a rash, smelly bleeding, having to *touch* the nasty kotex with his hands, nasty kotex touching his body, etc.
Finally, about the 3rd day, he told her "I promise never to make fun of you again. This is horrible."
We women all agreed - and live with it from 12/13 to 50/55 or so. Most of the time, it's no big deal - just highly inconvient.
However, it's one thing to have the physical/mental/emotional ups/downs to the point of literally wanting to kill the next person who dares to speak to you (had that last week, btw) - it's quite another to be made fun of for being born that way.
I think women (and men) cope quite well. I personally think women cope better with this kind of rudity, however. That's why we can change so many crappy diapers in our lives. One time I figured out approx. how many times I changed diapers (3 kids - no helping husband). It really depressed me; I might have been pms'ing at the time.
waiting
