Thursday, February 16, 2012

Spin Cycle--Red Face and All

So the diabolical Gretchen assigned embarrassing moments as the topic this week.  I was stymied for a while.  I have moments that have made my face red, but I have very effectively blocked the memory of those moments from my mind.  I wasn't sure if I could remember any that were good enough to share.  But then I remembered how I figured out I needed to shave my armpits and legs.
I was, how shall i put this?  Socially ignorant, backwards, inept, yeah let's go with inept when I was a teenager.  What seemed to come naturally to most girls, just sailed over my head.  In the eighth grade several girls had started shaving, as evidenced by the nasty cut they sported in gym class.  I watched and wondered if I needed to start shaving.  I asked my mom about shaving my legs, because I had not really thought about my armpits.  She checked my legs and said I could wait for a while longer before starting.  In hind sight (which is always better than the sight you have during) I should have asked about my armpits.
Fast forward to the beginning of my freshman year.  I went out for the swim team.  The older girls on the team, I think hoping to clue me in without coming right out and saying shave, would talk loudly about shaving, getting out the lawnmower, smoothing up the old legs, things like that.  It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally clued in.  I was embarrassed, but knew I had to do something.  So I very sneakily stole a razor form my mom's disposable stash--single blade Bics--and taught myself how to shave both legs and armpits.
Amazingly enough, I never had the nasty cuts the other girls had, oh there was the nick here and there, but not those gouges that I remember seeing.
I blame my mom for this red face really.  And it's just another reason why I was very happy to have boys and not girls.  I had such a tough time growing up, the last thing I wanted to do was try to guide a girl through the same difficult waters.
Go see Gretchen for other red face stories.  I know some of them are better than mine.


Second Blooming

9 comments:

  1. Ah, to be young and oblivious! But you completely captured that moment when we all realize that we're behind-the-times, and everybody knows it!

    You're linked!!

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  2. I think it was around 6th or 7th grade when this subject came up. I remember my mom buying these weird round razors that were awful; they cut you up something fierce. But I had the same kind of situation: I was on the swim team and knew it was time.

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  3. 7th grade for me. I saw the other girls starting to shave and begged my mom that night. She used an electric, so no worries about nicks anyway. I can already tell with Sprite that she will need to start early. Her leg hair is dark and while it's smooth, she will hit that point where she will ask.

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  4. I don't remember how old I was when I started shaving. I however kept trying to put my daughter off on shaving, I didn't want her to grow up and that was another step closer. I think she was in 7th grade.

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  5. I shaved my legs in the 5th grade but not my armpits until 8th when I participated in cheerleading. And it was of course brought up by the other girls too.

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  6. OMG do I remember those times glad you worked it out.

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  7. We have all suffered embarrassments like this, and most of them we can probably blame on mom!!! ;P

    Just over here getting caught-up on your blog, my sweet. I am having the best afternoon catching up with my bloggy buddies!!!

    xo,
    RJ

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  8. Ah, yes, the shaving of legs and armpits. My mom wouldn't let me shave for the longest time and I think I sneaked a razor finally, too, after being made fun of by some mean girls. Great spin.

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