When I was four years old, I pointed at a man next to me in the grocery store and said, "Mom, he's bald." You know, in case she didn't notice. I've always been a great observer, and I've always enjoyed sharing my observations with folks who may not be as gifted. Later in life, I learned that the balding phenomenon didn't just randomly happen at the store. It's just another part of life, as natural as a long haired hippie, or lopping off a finger in a terrible gardening accident. Unfortunately, while being a hippie might get you high, and losing a digit might get you some time off from work, losing your hair just gets you pity, if any attention at all. I'm not saying that the aura of every bald guy is desolate, it's just that this particular situation sure seems like a giant source of insecurity. And if there's anything I learned in grad school, it's that insecurity is not known for the number of smiles it generates. So, my friend sported a fancy new wig that brought about a little bit of comfort. And we all know what comfort does; it makes us smile!
I decided to embrace this new perspective, and diversify my eternally continuing efforts to infect the world with smiles. What I mean, of course, is that I embarked on a path to rocker hair. Not just to have it, but to rock it! And then donate it. I wasn't too excited at first, though, as everyone knows, I'm typically a clean cut guy.
So far, this has been a really easy project. All I have to do is not get a haircut, and not stand close to burning things. Since it's not too much of a burden to occupy my head with Locks of Love, I decided I could probably handle another project and occupy my face with another cause called Movember! This one is in honor of a family member who kicked cancer's ass!
Movember is a campaign to raise funds and awareness of cancers that affect men. It involves growing a very manly mustache during the month of November. As a participant in this movement, my mustache is a fantastic icebreaker to recruit supporters who will either follow this link to donate: My hair is truly amazing, or will learn something new from my giant man-brain. Or both.
Men's health is awesome, in case you didn't know, and it's also something that is not readily prominent in society. Everyone knows about breast cancer! Breasts are also awesome, and although they are prominently displayed all over the place, they have also had an amazing marketing campaign for cancer awareness. But did you know that 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime? For women, it's 1 in 3. In fact, the average life expectancy of a man is five years less than a woman. Did you also know that testicular cancer is the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 34! I'm still in that age range! If those numbers don't blow your mind, take a look at this: A third of the 571,950 cancer deaths expected to occur this year, will be related to obesity, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and thus could be prevented!
So, here's the thing: Be healthy! Exercise! Eat good food! Find a smile and pass it along! These are really easy things that seem to be eclipsed by laziness and delicious chemicals. But we have to not look directly at the laziness or the chemicals, or we'll lose sight of something super important - our health! It's a great time, right now, to organize your New Year's Resolution, and I would love for everyone to commit to being awesome and healthy. I know it can be intimidating, but if that bald guy can walk around grocery stores with kids pointing at him all the time, surely you can muster up the courage to work out and eat right! Or donate to a great cause: Movember!
