Memoir

How I Learned about the Birds and the Bees

Magazines, 8-track tapes and health class helped

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As children, we’re curious. We want to learn about our surroundings, soaking everything in like a sponge. We’re filled with wonder and ask millions of questions so we can understand how the world works.

Parents have the important task of teaching children right from wrong and other important life lessons. One of these lessons is about the birds and the bees. What age is appropriate for this conversation and how does a parent explain sex? I suppose a parent can ask Google or an AI chatbot for assistance today.

I’ll never forget when my cousin’s 5-year-old daughter asked me how babies are made. I told her to ask her mother. Today, she has two babies of her own so she obviously figured it out.

I’ll also never forget when I asked one of my boyfriends how he learned about sex. He said HBO.

I learned what sex was in an odd way too. My boyfriend and I didn’t have parents who sat us down for “the talk.” We had to learn on our own.

Health class lessons

Sixth-grade health class taught me a lot in 1979. My poor teacher, Miss Surry, was a nervous wreck. She held a tissue and kept wiping her hands. I’m…