The Hubs and I were in Lowe’s, looking for patio blocks to put under our new fire-pit (the pyro in me rejoices!), and after my attempt to convince him to buy me a giant trough to put the dog in, I stumbled across something that I would obsess about for days to come: Breast Cancer Awareness Mums. The mums were an unnatural pink color, somewhere between fuchsia and Pepto-Bismol. They were in little plastic tubs, wrapped in pink plastic with breast cancer ribbon emblems.
Lately, I have seen the breast cancer awareness items everywhere. I will admit that I am tempted by the breast cancer ribbon travel mugs, or limited edition breast cancer awareness nail polish bottles, but, breast cancer mums? What’s next? Breast cancer crepe myrtles? Breast cancer flamingos? Breast cancer sunsets?
Why does breast cancer get all of the awareness? We are already aware. What about all of those other terrible diseases out there? Don’t they deserve some attention? Don’t they get a day? A symbolic representation of awareness?
Here are some suggestions:
Beriberi Awareness Day – A disease that results from a lack of Thiamin that could result in tingling, confusion, pain, shortness of breath, leg swelling, etc. This one is easy for branding:
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Kuru Awareness Day – A disease that results from eating human brain. According to Wikipedia, the disease results in “body tremors” and is also known as “laughing sickness” because affected people are prone to “pathological bursts of laughter.” Hmmm…
Demodex Folliculorum Awareness Day– in two words: eyebrow lice.
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Awareness Day – I don’t even care what this disease is. If I can’t pronounce it, it must be horrible:
Breast cancer awareness is important. But let's not be short-sighted (Myopia Awareness Day? Hmmmmm?)
I totally agree with this. The whole Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer thing seems to have become a caricature. Some of us guys were talking one night and deciding we should do the same thing for prostate cancer. Our official color (ribbons and everything), of course, would be ... brown.
ReplyDeleteThere are heaps of other awareness days, many of which are not 'commercialized' like breast cancer. Unfortunately some are... for the best links to awareness days, the most comprehensive site for health awareness events in the world (!) is www.healthaware.org So, have a look, you will even find Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Awareness Day if you look in June (June 1st). This site only includes days that can be linked to a site with information about the cause (it doesn't include sites that are only about raising money). Cheers, Bonnie
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