Being raised Catholic, there were a lot of things we simply didn’t talk about, and sex? Yeah, that was pretty much a "don’t even think about it" topic. You might say I got more of an education about guilt than anything else.
I remember this one bad experience with a church school teacher that left me feeling completely lost. Looking back now, I realize they were trying to explain something about sex, but at the time, I didn’t get it at all. There was no context, no explanation—just vague comments about sin and purity, which, if I’m being honest, did more to confuse me than educate me. It wasn’t until recently that I even understood what they were trying to say, but by then, it was too late to go back and have a productive conversation about it.
Fast forward to school, and they tried to teach us sex ed when we were way too young to even process it. Imagine being a kid who still thought cooties were real, and suddenly you're supposed to understand the mechanics of human reproduction. The teachers showed us these weird drawings and animations that were meant to explain things, but honestly, it just made the whole topic even more baffling. I remember sitting there, staring at these cartoonish diagrams, thinking, "Is this supposed to be educational or just a really bad art project?"
By the time I was old enough to actually care about learning about sex, they were still using the same outdated methods: awkward videos, clinical drawings, and explanations that seemed like they were trying to avoid the real topic altogether. I mean, if the goal was to make sex seem like some kind of cryptic, mythical event, they nailed it. For the longest time, I had no idea what I was supposed to do when the time came.
And then, eventually, the time did come.
Somehow, despite the confusing lessons and the complete lack of useful guidance, I figured it out in the moment. There was no playbook, no final exam to pass—I just trusted my instincts and hoped for the best. Thank God for those instincts, because I’m not sure anything I learned in school, or from my Catholic upbringing, was ever going to help me navigate that situation.
Looking back, I realize how strange it all was—how the system kind of failed to provide the basic information I needed but somehow, nature took over when it mattered. It’s funny how that works, right? You grow up surrounded by adults who treat sex like it’s a taboo, shrouded in mystery, and then when you’re thrown into the situation, your body just goes, "Okay, I got this. Watch and learn."
In the end, I suppose it’s a good thing that human instincts are as strong as they are. While education is important (and should really be better when it comes to sex), sometimes you just have to trust that you'll figure things out when the moment arrives.
Thank God for instinct, and maybe a little grace. Because sometimes, that’s all you’ve got.
That’s my story of growing up Catholic and not learning about sex the traditional way. It was awkward, confusing, and a little bit of a mess, but hey—I made it through. And maybe, just maybe, there’s something to be said for learning as you go.
