Well I admit, that "yay" was sarcastic. I know, I know - every year I share that I have mixed feelings about Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). I probably sound like a broken record, but it's hard not to. This month always arouses those emotions for me. I do not hate him, I'm not against it and not that I do not think it's a good thing. I do. Is that since I had cancer BCAM feels weird to me. It's hard to describe why. Objectively, I think it's a good idea, but from a personal point of view is as if I do not know what to think about it. I have a certain cynicism about it now that never existed pre-cancer.
My husband summarized some of my feelings very well the other day. I told him in an overly cheerful, slightly sarcastic tone, "You know what Friday is?"
"Um, the first of October?"
"Yes!" But what does this mean? "
"It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month." Then he paused and said jokingly, "Do I have to celebrate Awareness Month Breast Cancer? Because I really do not want."
I joked back with, "Well, I do not think they are supposed to celebrate." Then he said with animation, hand gestures of celebration, "Yes! That had breast cancer! Woo hoo!" They both laughed.
And he's right. There is a bit of a festive tone to the whole thing seems a little, well, "smooth" for me. Seems to overlook the seriousness of the disease and almost trivialized. That does not sit well with me. Yes I know, the conclusion is supposed to be on the survivors. I get that. But then there's all this fuzz about brotherhood, Girl Power, bla bla bla. I swear I half expect people to walk up to me and says, "Happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month, sister!"
And do not forget the ever present pink ribbon. You can not get much fluffier than this. It has become fashionable, almost fashionable, to use it. Not to mention that is the product after product after product, and there seems to be no discretion at all as to which products can bear. Chicken cubes bearing the pink ribbon at the Kentucky Fried Chicken? Really? Talk about grossly inadequate. We all know that fried chicken is one of the unhealthy things you can eat and yet, KFC wants you to know that support the fight against breast cancer. KFC Yay! Thanks for your support! Um, yeah. You might as well slap lung cancer ribbon on a package of cigarettes. But we're fine with it because it is part of all feel-good fluff. We see the tape and we are happy to buy almost anything in "support" which allows companies to ride the wave rose all the way to the bank.
I try not to get my panties in a wad of these things, however. At least not much. Instead try to observe with glee every year. cynical fun, yes, but no less fun. Obviously no product is out of bounds, so my daughter and I made a rare game to find the / most random / inappropriate products bearing the pink ribbon. For fun sometimes take pictures of them, and this month I'll post some of those images for your enjoyment as well.
As we approach another BCAM not join me "celebrate" by looking for products that seem strangely connected to the pink ribbon? Snap a photo and email them to me and I'll post some of them. You can find my email in my biography. Who knows what fun things you can find this year! Going to be hard to top the chicken cube pink, but we can certainly try.
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