co-ed concerns

Yesterday, I got the weirdest piece of mail. Well, it wasnt so much weird, as that it made people all around me weird. It was my very first Baby Shower Invitation. For years, pregnant women and their friends have gathered in circles to celebrate the birth of a new baby, "showering" the mother-to-be with gifts. But today, what used to be a sacred gathering of women, apparently has now transformed into a mixer for co-eds. And it's getting everyone riled up.

For traditional people who are stuck in the old ways, like my mother, a co-ed baby shower deplores the sactinity and honor of a baby shower. Having never been to one of these shindigs, I didnt get what the big deal was. A party's, a party, whether you're a guy, a girl or knocked up. Right? At least, that's what I used to think. But for some, co-ed things are just not acceptable when it comes to certain things. Take my photographer, Bill, for example.

Bill was the photographer that was assigned to me by my magazine, and apparently, this 30-something was very conservative. One of my first pieces was supposed to cover the nightclub Pearl, Tucson's first Las Vegas-style nightclub, that boasted a full concerige and limosuine service, an exotic, relaxing and romantic Asian restaurant and a grand omnisex bathroom. And it was because of this grand omnisex bathroom, that Bill had second thoughts and concerns about featuring the club in the premiere issue of the magazine. Would the advertisers be offended for running their ads next to a story where boys and girls peed and pooped in harmony? I dont know.

In my humble opinion, I think featuring the nightclub would be a great story, in the sense that if Tucson was heading in the direction of having omnisex bathrooms in its nightlclubs, wouldnt it be the responsibility of a supposed "leading-edge" magazine to feature such a contemporary place? Since Bill had voiced his opinions to my editor, I voiced mine as well, but in the end, traditon won over contemporary. So now, I have to write about a winehouse. Which isnt bad, since I found out that Arizona is becoming one of the fastest growing wine brewing places in the country. But still. It's no VIP in a nightclub.

Is it just me, or is co-ed, something of the future and something that we ultimately have to get used to? I mean, if the people who are experiencing it are OK with it, then what's the big deal?