Love Yourself
The Right to Me
“Kayla, I am sorry, but you must have this properly filled out for the procedure!”
“Doctor, do you understand how stupid and infuriating it is being told what I can and cannot do with my own body?”
“I do and I wish it was different but unless your husband signs this agreement, I cannot tie your tubes.”
“I do not want to get married just for someone else’s permission. Also, when I get married my husband will understand me and want to support me. I don’t understand what the deal is.”
‘Again, I am sorry, Kayla,” the doctor says before walking out the door. “Come back when everything on this paper is filled out and signed.”
“Wow, I cannot believe the balls on this doctor telling me what I can and can’t do with my ovaries’!” Kayla thinks to herself as she storms out of the doctor’s office.
On the bus ride home, Kayla decides to do some research on what the doctor told her today. What she found horrifies her. It turns out that unless a procedure is medically necessary having consent from another human besides yourself is almost always the case. While browsing through Google, Facebook, even Bing she came across a poster that reads: “Women’s Rights March at the Atlanta Capital 1 PM sharp on March 18th, 2002." She marks this date down in her calendar and knows she had to show support for her fellow females.
The day finally arrives, March 18th. Kayla did not live that far away from the building, so she decides to just take the 5-minute walk there. The streets are packed with women and men holding up signs that read “MY BODY MY CHOICE” and “NO OVARIES NO OPINION”. While walking with the crowd she saw a booth with a sign with big letters that reads, “IF YOU AGREE SIGN HERE.” Kayla walks up to the booth and shakes to young womens hand who is standing behind it. "Hi and Welcome! We are here collecting signatures for a petition called My Body My Choice. Your signature would help countless of women." The women says with a bright smile. Of course, Kayla fills out the petition and signs her name in support of the cause. Back in with the crowd, she comes up to another booth with someone on a megaphone speaker. This older woman in about her fifties was yelling above the crowd saying, Think about your future, What if you change your mind, CHOOSE LIFE. Feeling disgusted Kayla tries to block her out and thought to herself, “I have never felt more right about a choice I have made in my life. I wish those people would think about who they are hurting and what others feel are.”
The more and more Kayla walks and chants with the group the more inspiration she felt. For the first time, Kayla felt like she had found people to trust. People that feel the same way. Not doctors or politicians just giving the same excuses all the time.
“We must continue to fight for our rights,”
“I hope to one day I will see a change and be the change.”
One of her fellow protesters is handing out blank poster boards. Kayla knows exactly what she wants for poster to read.
“ONE DAY WE WILL BE THE CHANGE CONTINUE TO INSPIRE.”
Kayla left with a new passion in her heart from this experience that has never felt before.
Authors Note:
Savitri: The Perfect Wife who's story is inspiring to me because her story is about finding herself. She was born to the king of Madra Kingdom, Asvapati, whos only wish was to have a child. His prayers were answered when Savitri was born. Savitri was the kings light and his favorite person on the planet. However, her father does not approve of the man she wants to wed. Despite her family saying she should not marry this man; she listens to herself and her wants and needs. I feel like this type of story happens very frequently still today. Listening to yourself is the most important thing. When it comes to women's rights we have had to work and struggle to have an opinion for ourselves. This is something women are still striving for today when it comes to the rights of our bodies. From here I thought of the idea to write a story about my body my choice movement.
In my story, I wanted to write about a woman who has decided that having children is just not for her. This story is about her fight for the rights of her own body. Women should not have to get the permission of a man to get a procedure they want. In this story, Savitri has portrayed Kayla and instead of wanting to marry someone her father doesn't not like she is striving for women's rights. Savitri's father in this story is the protesters who think it is not moral to not give life a chance. The people who say, "You might change your mind" or "choose life". Much like the way in Savitri's story where she chooses to love her husband who is destined to die.