If men got periods, you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have made a movie about it in the 1930s. Then again, if men got periods, there would be a weekly magazine show on our screens, in the style of Top Gear, where the likes of Jeremy Clarkson discussed the latest in menstruation technology. As it is, here we are in the 21st century, and we’ve only just invented period pants.
Periods will happen to 50 per cent of the population. One hundred per cent of people who get periods will be children when they first get them. It’s scandalous that we don’t prepare girls (and boys) for the changes that are part and parcel of life – and that, furthermore, we dismiss them outright. Emotional girls are told that they are “just being hormonal”. But hormones are the most powerful chemicals known to humankind; I’m not sure why we are expected to shrug off the ones that affect women.
Turning Red is a must-watch for anyone with young children. And if you don’t like the subject of periods in your house, then you can go and watch one of the millions and millions of other kids’ movies that don’t mention them. Happy watching!
Why emerging from a long, dark winter into the light is always a joy
The clocks have gone forward and spring has officially sprung. Last week’s warm weather gave me an endorphin rush like no other. Walking down the street, I noticed that people are smiling again. Perhaps they always were, but I couldn’t see through the masks. Anyway, I think we can all agree that the light makes everything better. Every March, I never cease to be amazed by what a difference a bright blue sky can make to my mood.
I have one of those LED lamps for the winter, but they are no substitute for the real thing. Living in the UK, I think we are all affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to a certain extent. I wonder what life would be like if I lived somewhere sunny all year round … and then I realise that I would only take it for granted, that for all the misery of long, dark, cold winters, nothing beats the March days when the daffodils flower and you realise you made it through. I think this year, spring is especially important – because it feels like we are coming out of a two-year winter. Finally, we are emerging from endless restrictions. Sunny days – and evenings – lie ahead.
