The Birds and the Bees

My daughter, Kerry, is now a freshman at UVM.  I was talking with her on the phone yesterday about her courses for next semester, and after I got off the phone I thought about some of my favorite courses I took when I was at UVM.  One that leaps to the front of my mind was "Human Sexuality".  It was a very popular elective - one of those HUGE classes of over 200 people.  I signed up to take it Junior year.

The class was always very well attended.  I have to admit it was one of the most "useful" classes I took in college.  Covering sexuality from birth to old-age,  it prepared me for the years of doctor's appointments I experienced while trying to have our first baby.

 It was during this class that I took a HUGE step in my life.

Since the class was so large,  it was broken up into smaller discussion groups once a week.  I can't remember what incentive was offered, but the teacher asked for students to volunteer to be discussion group leaders.
 
And I volunteered.

This may not seem like a HUGE step to you. 

You must realize, however, that I was so shy in high school that I could probably count on one hand the times I volunteered to answer a question.  I rarely even participated in a discussion group.  I don't know how many teachers even knew what my voice sounded like!

But college was a time to reinvent myself.  And this was a part of all that. 

I don't know why I chose to use this class to reinvent myself.  It's not like I was an expert in this subject.  In fact,  I was FAR from it!  I might have been the only virgin in the entire class of 200! You can't even imagine how nervous I was the night of my first discussion group!

Everyone came to the discussion group with an air of bravado on the topic, especially the guys.  But I was straight up with my group right from the start.  I distinctly remember the looks on their faces when I admitted I had never had sex.  As it turned out, that was the ice-breaker that prompted many questions and some wonderful discussions.  I was very strong in my beliefs that sex should wait until marriage and I could introduce another point of view on our topics of discussion throughout the semester.

So, in retrospect, this class proved to be a turning point in my war against shyness.  There have been many more turning points.  With each new role I have taken on in my life,  I have been forced to go once again beyond my comfort zone.  The first job, motherhood, Girl Scout leader, Sunday school teacher, and my latest shared role having to deal with medical staff during my father's illness and eventual death.  Ready or not, we are all forced to step up and rise to the occasion, no matter what that occasion might be.

And with each step, we learn and grow.

And that's all that matters!