I tinkled!

I have this vivid memory that stretches back to the first grade. There I was, sitting in my child-sized desk listening to the teacher when I hear this faint sound of water dripping. I remember turning my head and watching a yellow puddle grow beneath my neighbours desk.

As the rest of the class turned to stare, tears welled up in her eyes and her lips began to tremble. Without being asked she whispered, "I tinkled." I remember laughter being sounded in the background, but for me I was mortified for Jenny - the urine girl - and wondered if there was a more humiliating that could happen to a person.

This feeling of humiliation I supposed Jenny must have felt has engrained this event in my memory. Every since I have hoped and prayed that I'd never have to experience such public humiliation.

Well, today I tinkled.

I was on the elevator on my way up to my office I sneezed my regular three sneezes, each one progressively stronger than the last. I felt a tiny leak spring after the first sneeze and quickly clenched my legs closed. By the third sneeze, no matter how tight I squeezed, there was no stopping the flow. I didn't produce a puddle beneath my feet, but I did feel a moisture - and not the good kind - where one shouldn't when not in the vicinity of a toilet.

Although I didn't have a ring of six-year olds laughing in the background, I finally felt the humiliation and utter disgust that Jenny must have felt oh so many years ago.

Of course, I did a quick Google search and it seems that leaky bladders are common among pregnancy. Really?! Again, I must ask, why is this news to me? Why haven't other pregos spoken about this - at least as a warning to others? Do pregos actually forget that these things have happened to them or are they conspiratorially trying to hide such embarrassing side effects, so as not to turn off other women from supporting the birth rate?

Whatever the answer, I'm going to have to pack an extra pair of panties to take to work with me should this ever happen again! (Oh please don't ever happen again!)