It’s that time of year again. women are posting cryptic references to facebook regarding what color bra they’re wearing. They’re sending chain letters to friends piously asking them to do the same. Apparently posting your bra color on facebook en masse raises awareness of breast cancer. Is there a lack of awareness of cancer in our culture? Do you know anyone who hasn’t at one time or another had a panic attack and ran to their doctor over a lump, bump, nodule, mole or swollen gland? We are acutely aware of cancer and shared shitless. So why are we raising awareness of something we are oh-so-aware of. And why do we need to be hyper aware of breast cancer above myriad other cancers, many more stealthy and deadly. Maybe we should take our eye off the breast and realize that heart disease is the number one killer of women and raise awareness of the evils of trans fat.
How about raising awareness of a disease that isn’t so trendy? A disease that actually needs it’s profile raised, the ones from which many suffer in the shadows, which lack the funding and attention of cancer, particularly breast cancer.
There’s action and there’s aimless. If you care about breast cancer, find a way to make a difference. Posting your bra color on facebook doesn’t make a whit of difference to anyone. The more people that do it changes nothing. Make a donation, volunteer at a chemo clinic, find someone with cancer and help them out. I guarantee you, they need food and groceries and maybe even a shoulder to lean on. I’m lucky, I have all those things, I have the most ass-kicking, energized, savvy, smart and organized community any chiquita banana with cancer could want or need, but I’m lucky.
It’s like complaining about the government and not voting. If you care so much about breast cancer, make a difference. Find an issue... accessible screening for the uninsured, affordable treatments, there are many. Find a cause, make a plan and make a difference, or just keep your bra color to yourself.
Amen! Praise be, sister!
ReplyDeleteOf course, it would be way more entertaining to see pics posted of people wearing their bras in all their rainbow glory. Or maybe a pic of the person holding the bra while topless. That would certainly raise awareness, all right.
well done! must share!
ReplyDeletefood, driving and most importantly, time...if you can give a patient or their primary care giver time...for me that was the most valuable.
<3
i thought you might like to read this---mary tyler mom is thinking along the same lines today...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagonow.com/mary-tyler-mom/2012/01/barbie-v-cancer/
i LOVE that piece BF, thanks for sending. i've had a serious rant in me about pink ribbons for years and i figure when the time is right i can vent with {LOL} moral authority... or at least w/o being too tacky.
ReplyDeletei am with you on this. i feel like the true seriousness and immediacy of finding relief, a cure and support for women with cancer was somewhat trivialized by the ribbons, colored bras etc. QUALITY, SERIOUS AWARENESS IS WHAT IS NEEDED NOW - AND ALWAYS.
ReplyDeletethanks lisa, i was a little worried about stepping on toes with this post, but i realized if you're gonna be a blogger, you've got to be a fearless blogger. armchair activism is too easy to pat yourself on the back for and the whole breast cancer arena really lends itself to laissez faire advocacy, and mindless yapping not sure why. I was in staples today and i swear to god they had pink everything. get this... a pink tape dispenser in the shape of a high heeled shoe -- yes let's raise awareness of breast cancer {because it disfigures the beloved boobie} with an homage to needlessly disfiguring and crippling fashion. eesh!
ReplyDeleteTruly. Very powerful...
ReplyDelete