(Original Post) I took my husband Monte by surprise last week. He’d returned home from visiting a hospitalized church member. Seeming down a little, he explained how much this man had been through. The patient had experienced quite a bit of dependency, including having visiting nurses help bathe him. “And through it all,” Monte concluded, “ he said the worst thing was the loss of his modesty. I responded, sympathetically, shall we say? “It’s about time you men had your comeuppance!” Then I railed into him about how women would have an easier time in that situation because of all they have to put up with just being women. “Think about having babies, giving birth,” I said. “How would you feel with your legs spread apart for every Tom, Dick and Harry to view? In pregnancy and giving birth a woman loses all modesty! And all just so you men can prove your manhood by impregnating us women!” I continued relentlessly. “Then there’s the doctor’s exam, those infernal internals and breast exams. You men send us there so we’ll continue to be available for your pleasure. You don’t consider our modesty when we have to strip down and let a strange man have his hands all over us.” Mercilessly, I added, “Then there’s the medication we take to maintain our ‘womanhood.’ How would you feel if the only way you could continue your manhood would be by taking Viagra?” Tonight the subject arose again. Monte spoke, for the first time with apparent understanding and sympathy, about how tough it must be to be a woman. He even referred to our “monthly visitor” and its bothersome nature. But I still wouldn’t let him off the hook. “Yeah,” I agreed. “Think about the infertile woman. She is reminded every month about her lack. She goes through the grief process anew every month.” He thought that might be tough. “There are two compensations, though, to being a woman,” I went on.“Women always know the child they give birth to is theirs, barring a baby-switching. And women have the privilege of ‘growing’ the child they give birth to. I wouldn’t trade that for anything!”
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