A lot of guys shy away from wearing certain colors. It is probably safe to say that pink tops the list.
Now, I've personally never been opposed to pink. I've got pink pants and pink shirts, and even a pink tie. I wear them all the time. And I always get compliments. Women tell me that they like a confident man that is comfortable wearing pink. (Need real proof? Men's Health did a fashion feature on color and discovered that women are more drawn to men wearing certain colors. Guess what? Pink topped that list!). I'd even venture to say that other men secretly admire guys that dare to be different, too.
I guess it all goes back to that age old stereotype: blue is for boys, and pink is for girls. We don't really know where this originated. The idea of associating blue with male babies may stem back to ancient times when having a boy was good luck. Blue, the color of the sky where gods and fates lived, held powers to ward off evil, so baby boys were dressed in blue. In Greece, a blue eye is still thought to have powers to ward off evil. The idea of pink for girls might come from the European legend that baby girls were born inside delicate pink roses.
At any rate, it is time for us to put all that conjecture aside for a cause that we can all agree deserves our attention: breast cancer. And there is an innovative campaign right here in Henry County that aims to motivate men to help give breast cancer the pink slip, so to speak: Real Men Wear Pink.
When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer the men in her life help her through it. With 13,698 new diagnoses expected this year it is now as important as ever to donate to breast cancer research. For each of those cases there will be at least one man whose life will dramatically change with a positive diagnosis as a husband, brother, father or son. The champion effort behind Real Men Wear Pink seeks to increase breast cancer awareness and research, with a focus on our community.
Now marking it's third year, the notion of bringing the Real Men Wear Pink campaign to Henry County is the brainchild of Donna Braddy, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Henry Medical Center. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, you will see, among other things, billboards, special events, fundraisers, and local media promoting this cause. There are also two excellent online videos focused on Henry County, It's Not Easy Bein' Pink (lighthearted) and Three Shades of Pink (serious).
Like many others, my wife, Julia, and I have been personally
affected by this disease. We have witnessed family, friends, and co-workers battle breast cancer. Two years ago, we learned that our friend, Stacie Walker, was diagnosed. At the time, she was only 29 years old. Breast cancer came as a surprise to her, and she had no family history of the disease. In true Stacie style, though, she handled the news with grace, humor, and inspiring herculean strength (it is all chronicled on her blog, A Dose of Reality).
Of course, we thought of Stacie's daughter. And of her husband, Jesse, in particular. I tried to put myself in his shoes, and to think about how I would help Julia through something like this. "In sickness and in health," becomes very real. Jesse, like all husbands of wives battling breast cancer, became a pillar of strength. Today, thankfully, Stacie is out of the woods and has a clean bill of health. Jesse is now her co-survivor.
Breast cancer is a universal fight that cannot be won alone. It is not just a woman's issue. Whatever or whomever your reason, the end goal is the same – creating a future without breast cancer – for all of us. I will continue to wear pink proudly, in honor of everyday heroes like Stacie Walker...and for those guys like Jesse that exemplify what being a real man is all about.
For more information on the Real Men Wear Pink campaign, contact Donna Braddy at 678-604-1000 or visit Henry Medical Center. For information on local care and support for cancer patients, please visit Henry County Cancer Services.
Congratulations to the 2011 Real Men Wear Pink: Andy Pippin, Shane Thompson, Chuck Spahos, Montá Brown, Judge Jim Chafin, Jimmy Carter, Ken Wright, Paul White, Kent Booth, and Brian Strickland.
Posts
