No Bra Day

If I wore no bra out in public, three things would happen: 1 – I would feel incredibly self-conscious, 2 – I would feel incredibly uncomfortable, 3 – everyone would KNOW. Do you know what wouldn’t happen? Not one single person would think a damn thing about cancer of any kind.

I don’t do the whole wear pink thing because I really don’t like pink and the money doesn’t go where you think it does (Charity Navigator – Komen). Breast cancer is a terrible thing but we shouldn’t be sexualizing cancer. We should be focused on saving the people afflicted, not the parts of them that are. Who cares about the breasts if the women are dying? It isn’t the only cancer in the world. It’s not even the most devastating cancer – that would be lung cancer.

This month is hard for me especially because every single thing I hear is about breast cancer. It isn’t the only cancer that kills people. Yes go get your mamograms and do monthly self-checks. It matters, it’s important. Donate to organizations that are funding research or services for people with cancer. Remember that it isn’t just women who get breast cancer. Go to your dermatologist to get your spots checked. Go to your regular physician to check the rest of you. Cancer sucks but I’m so damned tired of the only cancer we talk about being breast cancer.

This year is worse than most, being a big anniversary year – 20 sounds so big but it doesn’t feel like it. I find myself a little more weepy than usual about the dumbest stuff. This year, I find myself getting angry at the pink because everyone cares about breast cancer and no one gives a dime to most other cancers. There isn’t a standard ribbon for malignant melanoma. There’s no awareness project, quilt, or 5k. What about lung cancer, prostrate cancer, colon cancer? This year I wish they’d chosen a different month of the year for their awareness and education crap. Any other month.