September Monthly Friend: Olivia
September Monthly Friend: Olivia F.
Name: Olivia
Age: 23
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Current location: Pittsburgh, PA
Occupation: Case manager/social work grad student
Interests: Social justice, cooking, gardening, adventures
Dreams: Change daily. I like being happy and I like living in a way that allows other people to be happy as well.
How long have you used reusable menstrual products?: Four or five years.
Reason for making the switch to reusables: It seemed environmentally sound and I was sick of having to go to the store monthly to feed large corporations and landfills. And I never found conventional menstrual products very comfortable. I first started hearing the buzz in a women’s health class and then there was a community stitch ‘n bitch that included someone providing some pointers on making pads. When I was traveling and my period started unexpectedly, I was thrilled to realize that they could also be purchased!
Funny anecdotes, deep thoughts, or anything else you’d like to share: When I first made the switch, I was visiting my boyfriend. I had mentioned to him that I was going to try them and he thought it was a bit odd. When I got to his apartment for a visit, I put a stack of homemade pads on his bathroom shelf. We had friends over for his birthday and we had finished a good bit of wine over dinner. He returned from the bathroom with my brand new pads on his hands, using them as puppets. Another female guest recognized what they were, and we had a good laugh.
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September 18th, 2009 at 5:38 am
Great story! Periods happen, you gotta laugh!
I’m trying to figure out how to get two teenagers I mentor to switch too GladRags, but without their parents thinking that I’m butting in where I don’t belong. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d appreciate it.
September 18th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Maybe all you have to do is mention that GladRags are what you use. Even if they don’t start to use them now, when they are making those sorts of decisions for themselves, they’ll remember the cool mentor they had who used GladRags.
September 20th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Whenever I discuss alternative menstrual products to anyone, I try to emphasize the health and financial benefits (no bleach or hyper-absorbent chemicals like in disposables, and the cost benefits really do add up). I’ve found that trying to sell people on the whole “hey, it’s better for the environment” front usually makes them label me a hippie and they quit listening – but focusing on the personal benefits seems to keep people engaged. Though, I think Brenda’s suggestion is probably the best for dealing with teens.