October come & gone

I can’t believe that it’s October already!
I can’t believe that October went so quickly!
How many times do we say that - about whichever month it happens to be?

Most of my readers probably know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. All month I have been intending to write a blog posting about it, but here it is, the last day of the month & no blog has been forthcoming. Certainly my famous foot-dragging procrastination has been a factor, but perhaps it was more than that. At first I didn’t have a clue about what to write. I saw different articles here & there written from various angles & viewpoints & I probably wondered what I could add to the discussion. But I felt like I should jump in & say something – because that’s what bloggers do; they write about current topics. So it made sense that I write about this. Besides, I had a sense of personal obligation to this topic; after all, I am a breast cancer survivor – so shouldn’t I do my part?

What is my part? What are we trying to do with this awareness campaign? What really is the purpose of the pink ribbon cause? What is the goal of the campaign? Is it serving any real benefit - & to whom?

Actually I had begun asking these questions even before October began, when I bumped into yet another “cute” little gimmick spreading across Facebook. Women would post in their status windows: "I'm ‘x-number’ weeks & I'm craving ‘____’." thereby causing their friends to wonder what in the world they were talking about. I noticed that it bothered me a bit & I tried to figure out why. Was I just being a grump? I remembered a couple of other silly campaigns on Facebook in the last couple years. First was the time when women would simply type one word as their status – the name of a color, answering the question: What color underwear are you wearing right now? The other one was to answer the question: Where do you like to keep your purse? However, the intent was evidently to word your answer so that it would imply something entirely different. Yes, I might be a grump, but what in the world do these questions or their answers have to do with breast cancer awareness? Okay, I admit that they may have raised curiosity or interest, but for what purpose? I guess maybe the creators of the idea thought it would be cool to do something beyond the pink ribbon, that something more provocative might better serve the cause.

Then came October & we saw pink ribbons everywhere. The pink ribbon has certainly gained a measure of familiarity & recognition and could likely be identified by most people as a symbol of breast cancer awareness. But besides that identification, what purpose does it serve?

People evidently “read” the pink ribbon differently. Some see it as a tribute, a reminder of someone who they lost to breast cancer. To others, it is a celebration – expressing their gratitude for someone who survived. To still others, it means solidarity & a rallying cry for the cause of “beating this thing.” Thanks to an honest friend, I’ve just discovered that to some, the pink ribbon itself has become a symbol of fear & has the unfortunate ability to cruelly shake up their world with no apparent benefit.

Evidently some people see the pink ribbon as simply a chance for organizations to raise money for their specific sub-cause – whether it be for cancer research or maybe just for fueling the machinery of their own pet version of the campaign.

Some people also see the pink ribbon as an encouragement to DO SOMETHING – to do that self-exam, to schedule that appointment - or to nag somebody else to follow through on the knowledge that early detection and treatment can save lives! I suppose it is this last symbolism that makes me feel like I “should” do something to influence others. However I have learned that “should’s” often do not motivate as well as might be expected. It’s a little like trying to motivate through guilt; it just doesn’t work. However, that is a whole other topic – perhaps for another day.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I don’t have a clue about how to motivate a friend or a loved one to do something that they “should” do. Crap; I don’t even know how to motivate myself to do what I should do. It’s true that gimmicks do work – sometimes – although not usually in a one-size-fits-all version. For me at least, bringing about true change involves a process which may begin with influence &/or persuasion, but must continue through the decision-making point and actual strategy steps. In other words, I must be convinced that this is important enough to warrant my attention & my energy. Then I must DECIDE to do it. More importantly I need to decide when & where I will do this. I must figure out & take the steps to make it happen. I must make that call, set up that appointment or whatever it takes. It takes more than a pink ribbon!

What about you?
What do pink ribbons say to you?
Is there something you should do?
Better yet, is there something that you want to do?
Maybe you could find a way to honor that special person.
Maybe you could love on someone who is scared.
Or maybe there is something that you can do for yourself.
Maybe you will choose to do this thing now.
Maybe you will make that call & get that appointment on your calendar.
Enough with the “should”s already!
What is it that you want to do?
What will you choose to do?
What will it take to get it done?