The anatomically correct word for something 49.6% of the people on this world have, but you’re uncomfortable now, aren’t you?
This past weekend I attended the Vagina Monologues at the Wharton Center. The name of the performance caught my eye while I was reading the local newspaper, and I decided I would take a break from my busy schedule of binge-watching House of Cards to check it out. It turned out to be much more than a simple Netflix break. I could describe each monologue that was acted out, but it simply wouldn’t do the show justice.
I’ll admit, I was uncomfortable at first; it isn’t everyday that you go to a performing arts center and hear women say “vagina” more times than you’ve ever heard in your life. However, once I realized that the awkwardness I felt was regarding one of MY own body parts, it turned into one of the most empowering performances I have had the pleasure of attending. I quickly opened up and found the show to be both hilarious and inspiring. I loved watching confident women address an audience of over 200 people about their reproductive parts, something that would normally be condemned or ridiculed. As much as I enjoyed the show, it made me think. A line from the performance really stuck with me: “When you rape, beat, maim, disrespect, and terrorize women, you destroy the essential life energy on the planet.”
This body part that is talked about so conservatively, almost like a taboo, is why we all exist. No matter what religion you practice, if any, it is not God who is sitting in a cramped hospital room for hours just to give you life, it is a woman. I guess what I’m trying to say is that women are cool. We do cool things. Guys, don’t worry; I think you are cool, too.