Ain't I a Woman?

Before I got to the breastfeeding chapter in Bossypants, there was another section that really made me think. Tina Fey was in a workshop doing research for Mean Girls where all attendees were asked when the first "knew they were a woman."

Almost everyone first realized they were becoming a grown woman when some dude did something nasty to them. "I was walking home from ballet and a guy in a car yelled, 'Lick me!'" "I was babysitting my younger cousins when a guy drove by and yelled, 'Nice ass.'"

This made me wonder if there was a moment when I suddenly "knew I was a woman." I certainly did not have any men say anything nasty to me. Either because I didn't walk next to busy streets enough, or, more likely, because I was a late bloomer and continued to be awkward and gawky until about college.

But what I could come up with was a comment from a guy that made me feel womanly and was actually very nice.

I went to my senior prom with a friend of mine. He had attended his junior and senior year of high school at a college but was still earning high school credit. He was about to graduate from our high school and he wanted to come back and see everyone and have that memory of going to prom. I remember that he was having problems getting a tux and so I suggested we do the duct tape prom thing. Some couple usually came to prom wearing duct tape so it wouldn't be too weird, and then we could make our own clothes! He said, no he would find a tux, so I got a dress and then we met up before prom. When he saw me in the dress he said, "And you wanted to wear duct tape..." It was sweet and gentlemanly and made me feel pretty.

I guess I should count this as one of the small things that was right about my adolescence. I was never cat-called from a passing car, but I did have a great time at my senior prom and I was beautiful.