An unknown bonding ritual

A few weekends ago, I took a girlfriend, to have a certain procedure performed. She was nervous, and she didn't know how she would feel afterwards, so she asked me to drive her. She was also embarrassed. I don't know why, she is a grown woman, so what she does is her business.

Anyway, when we got there, there were a bunch of women, waiting impatiently, some were scared, some were nervous, some were even embarrassed/ashamed, whatever. My girlfriend didn't want to stay in the waiting room, because she was nervous that someone might see her. She didn't even want me to wait with her, for the same reason. That kind of bothered me, because if I really felt that way, then I wouldn't of agreed to drive her.

So I finally convinced her to go in the lobby to wait. It was a long wait. I looked around the room, there were older women, young girls, and women our age. After about a half hour, a woman asked me, "how far are along are you," and I replied, I'm here with my girlfriend. She goes, yeah, I'm embarrassed too, a 45 yr. old, having this done, but you shouldn't be embarrassed, these things happen. I started to explain, but realized she still wouldn't believe me, and further more, who cares. So she asked me, "does it hurt?" And I answered, I don't really know, the only procedure, I had close to this one, was when I had a miscarriage, and that hurt like hell. So then another girl, who looked like she could be about 14, answered, after the second time it shouldn't hurt. We both looked at her like "damn!" After that initial conversation, the lobby lit up with chatter. Women started telling stories, about their first, second and fourth times, having it done. Then the myths, started up. One girl, asked, is it true, that this can damage, your uterus lining. Good question, I thought. Another woman, older, replied, yeah, if the doctor isn't paying attention. She then told us how she had one doctor who couldn't find the embryo, and had to stop, so she could have the sonogram again. We all went, "oooo" at the same time.

This went on for about 40 minutes, we started laughing, and joking about it, and greeting each other, and exchanging phone numbers and before you know it, it seemed as if we forgot where we were and why... until the nurse came in and called the a name. The silence fell once again....

an unknown bonding ritual.