13. The Vagina Monologues

13. The Vagina Monologues

For the past 9 years, The Vagina Monologues has played a central role in my life, my growth and my womanhood seeing five separate renditions of the Vagina Monologues each performed to audiences of hundreds and thousands and people.

My first encounter with The Monologues, and in many ways with my own Vagina, was for my 17th birthday. I encouraged my older sister to San Francisco to see Eve Ensler recite the Vagina Monologues.

For a girl soon to graduate from high school who had only kissed once, very poorly, and had never been touched, The Monologues was an eye-opening experience.

In college at the University of Michigan, I had the opportunity to see The Vagina Monologues produced three times. The third time, I participated in the "Reclaiming Cunt" monologue with three beautiful women. This production, an all women of color cast, was one of the most beautiful and influential experiences of my life.

Seeing the production in three states, San Francisco, CA; Ann Arbor, MI; and, New York, NY has showed me how both unique and universal the experience of womanhood is.

Regardless of age, race or location, each woman who experiences the monologue on stage or in the audience can relate to the stories Eve Ensler weaved from the lives of 200 women.

This Valentine's Day season. This V-Day, I am reminded of the fight to end Violence against women. The first step is always awareness for the women and for the men.

When I first saw Vagina Monologues, I could only relate to "My Angry Vagina". When I was in college, I began to relate to the vagina facts and vagina questions. After entering and re-entering the real world, I began to understand "The Flood", "My Vagina Was My Village", "Because He Liked to Look at It" and "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy".

And that is the Vagina Monologues experience, for women and for men. As you grow, your understanding of each monologue grows.

And regardless of how many times you see it, it's always a fresh, refreshing experience unveiled.