During adolescence I yearned to be a teacher. Teaching isn't that far a jump from learning, and I was really GOOD at learning new things. Boobs and body hair, too, shortly thereafter. Gentleman readers may want to skip this next section.
Chocolate is medicinal.
I just wanted to mention that. I hadn't particularly been very close to anyone but my father, so when I started cramping and bleeding, I was afraid to come home and have everyone get all hysterical about me. However, I did think I was dying, so I eventually told my mother when I couldn't figure out what was going on. She did her best to reassure me. We studied little line drawings supposedly representing my innards and the processes through which they were unhappily cramping.