Movember – An itchy month

I’ve always been kind of skeptical of the whole “Movember” thing, but last year I decided to do some research into it and I was actually pleasantly surprised by what I found. Raising awareness and funding for men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer, that was something that I could get on board with. Unfortunately, I didn’t decide to do any research on it last year until the month of November was almost over. I decided then that next year (this year) I would get on it from Day 1 and really do it all month.

Well, you know how it is when time goes by – and a year is a really long (but incredibly short) amount of time. I forgot all about it until October 30. I was in one of my classes and my professor mentioned he had been diagnosed earlier this year with stage 4 prostate cancer. Suddenly, it came back to me that Movember was right around the corner and that I wanted to participate and do my part for myself as well as men just like my professor.

So, I was shaving for the last time for a while on the 31st and my girlfriend, Eva, asks me if I was going to do Movember this year. I looked at her a little confused. Last year she was opposed to it until she found out why it was happening and even then she only seemed partially okay with it. This year, there she is reminding me of it and asking if I was going to do it. More than that, it turns out she wanted me to do. She said it would be my only chance this year for her to let me look like the guys from Duck Dynasty – which I’m trying to push for as an all year round look – but I just think she likes me with a beard.

It doesn’t take a whole lot of conscious effort to grow facial hair – just a little – so it’s one of those great things to do on the side of all my other activities. School, my writing, working, time with the girlfriend, family and friends, all that and more and I can still help support a great cause. I can get on board with that.

If you (my one or two readers out there) aren’t aware of what Movember is really all about or if you aren’t familiar with the seriousness of prostate cancer I’d urge you to go to Movember’s website: http://us.movember.com/mens-health/prostate-cancer and check it out. Then of course, I would urge you to participate as well, but to each his own.