(Scene: Two young, hip women at an independent coffee house. They’re independent, intelligent hip, not “I’m-a-walking-suburban-retail-catalogue-hip.” They’ve just greeted eachother warmly, and are just getting into their conversation while stirring up their drinks.)
Maia: (Sipping her coffee): Do you want any sugar or honey for your tea?
Macies: Are you kidding me?! That stuff’s poison. I just read this book on how our American, hi-glycemic diets are behind a lot of health problems. No thanks. I’ve lost a lot of weight just from dropping sugar, and I just feel so much better.
Maia: A little detox goes a long way, huh?
Macies: That’s for sure.
Maia: You’ve been kind of organic-crazy lately, (Macies smiles in affirmation) so tell me, if you wouldn’t eat chicken with artificial hormones in it, why are you still on the pill? I mean, I’ve been reading up on it a little lately–you know my neighbor Joan’s works over at that churchy place–and I gotta say chemical contraceptives are looking shadier and shadier. Why would you spend a ton of time converting your lifestyle to organic, but still be pumping your body with chemicals that your system wasn’t made for?
Macies: Well, geez, Maia. Don’t get into an “organic panic.” I don’t have time for family planning that is all “family” and no “planning.”
Maia: I’m not panicking. But I am your friend, which means I sometimes call you out when I think you might be a little inconsistent. Anyway, my neighbor calls it Natural Family Planning, and it’s 99% effective. There was even a recent German study of different family planning methods, and NFP came out on top. You can’t argue with that.
Macies: That’s not what I’ve heard. C’mon, my dad’s 8 of 10 kids in his family. 99% effective. Really.
Maia: His parents were probably using the Rhythm Method, which is so last century. Evidently the fertility docs have come a long way since then, and NFP has the same and sometimes even higher rates of effectiveness than the pill, the patch and that other stuff.
Macies: Have you coverted to some strange cult or something and you haven’t told me?
Maia: Get off! You know I’m not even religious. But it just makes sense. I challenge you to read this booklet I have at home about it. You’re a smart woman, and so am I. I just feel like we’ve been sold a “pill of goods” with contraceptives. Think about it. It’s always the woman who picks up the side effect tab, takes the pill, gets the shot, etc. What about the guys? If you ask me, I think the pill makes it easier for women to be objects, not the other way around. Anyway, I’ll just give you booklet, and you can take a look. If anything, when you’re done, either you’ll be a better informed woman on the pill, or you’ll choose NFP and have a healthier outlook, and probably better intimacy with your husband.
Macies: Fine. I’ll take a look at it. So tell me about the greater intimacy thing… (reaching for the honey).
