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03/19/2004: "Is it that time of the month?"
I just came across a book on Amazon.com that sounds interesting. It's called, "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers" by Lois P. Frankel. Not only does it have good reviews and sound useful, but I really identified with one of the quotes from it: "Whether it was Mom's message -- 'Boys don't like girls who are too loud.' -- or, in response to any angry outburst, a spouse's messages -- 'What's the matter? Is it that time of month?' -- women are continually bombarded. with negative reinforcement for acting in any manner contrary to what they were taught in girlhood."
The whole "Is it that time of the month?" thing drives me mad. My asshole ex used it on me all the time. Nevermind that he had done something to piss me off, but he'd try to peg it as being my problem and not his, and I was just acting so unreasonable since I was a woman with womanly problems. Also, who cares what time of the month it is? It doesn't change how you honestly feel, it's not like I only get angry when the hormones start moving. It's good to see that I'm not the only one who's had this accusation thrown at me, but it always made my blood boil. It's totally like he was patting me on the head and saying, "Silly woman, don't worry, in a few days you'll feel all better and won't need to yell at poor, innocent me."
So to all my male readers, don't ever ask your significant other if it's "that time of the month" when she's upset. They get upset at you getting a lapdance from your 18-year-old stripper friend no matter what time of the month it is. And if it is "that time of the month," chances are if she's pissed at you, you still did something that upset her. Don't treat it as any less.