SUNDAY SCRIBBLINGS - LATE

This week's prompt is late.


Earlier this week I accompanied a friend of mine to the Family Planning Clinic. This was the first time I'd visited Family Planning and I was curious to see what the place was like. I had visions of unwed mothers and unsavoury types loitering around. Very prejudiced of me I know but I thought this clinic was a place to go if you couldn't afford a visit to the doctor.

The place was different than I imagined; very welcoming and cosy. I approached the receptionist and informed her in hushed tones that we were here for the Family Planning Clinic. My friend and I sat ourselves down on the couch and waited. Two forty somethings sitting in the lounge with a couple of teenage girls. I felt rather out of place.

I sneaked a peak at the girls next to me while I read my magazine. They looked all of fifteen years old and absolutely terrified. I recognised the pained expression on one girl's face and remember years ago when I too was LATE. I felt such sorrow while I watched her as she entered the room, emerging a few minutes later with a brown paper bag and heading to the ladies room. Why don't they ever give you a bigger paper bag? Must be designed by a man. Sorry boys. She left the clinic a little later with tears in her eyes. She looked so young and vulnerable. Hardly able to take care of herself, never mind a little one. No doubt off to tell mum and dad she had a special surprise for them for Christmas. When you're so young, thinking you could be pregnant feels like the end of the world.

My friend and I were next in line. Our visit was very lighthearted and I managed to have the nurse in fits of laughter. Must have been a bit of a change from her usual visitors.

Maturity can make these experiences easier to deal with but I can still connect with that terrified girl inside of me. Knowledge has indeed made me wiser but I still make mistakes. How can we expect youngsters with no experience to make the right choices especially when they have all those hormones flying around? We can educate them and give them the right tools but in the end they will make their own choices.