As I was walking through a book store, I came across a little girl (about 5) gazing in confusion at a book intended to teach young children about sex.
The mother had a great opportunity here, a chance to instill a healthy perspective of body parts and human acts... This exchange warranted a second glance and a blog post:
"Mommy, do I have a penis?" (I can only assume she asked what the thing on the cartoon of a naked boy was and the mother responded 'a penis')...
"No, honey," she replied, "you have a ta-ta."
Oooooo-kay?!
Boys have penis', and girls have fluffy ballerina skirts?! oh wait, that is a tu-tu.. but I think you catch my drift.
I have to admit, it irked me.
What is so wrong with our culture that it is ok to simply say what it is when it comes to male parts, but, when it comes to the feminine equivalent, we have to make 'cutsie' names out of them.. as if our plumbing was too shameful to call it what it is....
We have vaginas. VAGINAS.
Which got me to thinking and asking some of my internet circles... how well do we know our body parts?
I can guarantee you that the majority of us know what a scrotum is, a penis, a foreskin, testes, and even, for many of us, a vas deferens... but when it comes to a woman's eternal flower?
You would not believe how many women I have encountered have no idea what the names of their body parts are...
Our vaginas are not pee-pees, they are not ta-tas or vajay-jays... we have vaginas. Is it really such a dirty word?
The word vagina comes from a latin term meaning 'sheath'.. we have a sleeve of protection in which to protect our parter's... umm... swords? Wow. That is powerful and sexy, in my opinion.
I am not saying to not have terms of endearment for your femininity, but make sure that it gives due diligence to the power, beauty, and femininity of our bodies... not belittling and shaming it into a child's term.
I am proud of my vagina and am tired of it being a dirty word that yet another generation of women will find shameful to utter to their young daughters. Give me some other terms, and thoughts, on our sexual anatomy that encourages a healthy body image...
