Thursday, November 15, 2012

Past Deadline: Hairy Lips for a Good Cause

Here’s this week’s (Nov. 15) “Past Deadline,” published in The Perth Courier.
Hairy lips for a good cause
I am finding it hard to take my husband seriously. I mean harder than usual.
See, he’s got this growth sprouting on his face and, well, at least it’s for a good cause!
Movember began in Australia and has become a global campaign to raise money and awareness for men’s health, particularly prostate cancer and male mental health initiatives.
The idea is to try to change established habits and attitudes men have pertaining to their health and to promote early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
In Canada, funds go towards programs run by Movember and Prostate Cancer Canada. Last year, more than 854,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas worldwide were involved and raised $125.7 million CAD.
On November – I mean Movember – 1, fellas show up clean shaven, register at www.Movember.com and spend the rest of the month growing and grooming a moustache.
For some guys the growing part is easier said than done, but it’s not a problem for Groom-boy. Within a week he already had a substantial caterpillar resting under his nose.
Now, the thing of it is, many of us girls are of the opinion that there are only a handful of men who can pull off a moustache.
Someone who springs to mind right off the bat is Tom Selleck. Whether he’s Magnum P.I. or Commissioner Regan, it would be just plain wrong for him to lose his moustache, in my opinion.
Jack Layton was another one. It was a trademark.
My Uncle Tom can do it, too. When I was a kid he always had a moustache, complete with handlebars, but he opted to go clean-shaven several years ago and I still haven’t gotten used to it.
I think that’s the whole point – it’s what you’re used to. I mean, if Tom Selleck had become a superstar as a clean-shaven dude, I’d probably still watch Blue Bloods and sigh a little.
Can you even picture such notables as Freddie Mercury, Gandhi, Charlie Chaplin, Burt Reynolds, Sir Robert Borden or Albert Einstein without moustaches?
Just to shoot holes in the “what you’re used to” argument, though, my dad sported a moustache from the time I was born until after he retired. Then one day several years back he shaved it off and, if I remember correctly, he had to point out the fact it was gone. Despite his white hair, his understated moustache had a tiny tinge of red in it and blended in with his skin tone, so its loss wasn’t dramatic.
With Groom-boy, though – yeesh! It’s dark and noticeable and I laugh every time I look at him.
He tells me that’s the whole point – that it’s supposed to be uncomfortable (he hates it) and funny looking so that it’s a sacrifice to a cause.
Groom-boy does not resemble Tom Selleck, so there is no watching and sighing. (Sorry, dear.)
The kids are having a ball with it, and they keep running up to Daddy to feel his moustache. This is particularly irritating when we are all sitting together at suppertime and Daddy is trying to eat.
When we have a conversation, I have to look away in order to concentrate on what Groom-boy is saying. Possibly I will get used to the caterpillar and by the end of November I won’t even notice it, but I highly doubt it.
Fortunately, I don’t think I have to worry about it becoming a permanent facial feature, as it appears to be driving him batty.
It’s all for a very good cause, though, so keep fighting the good hairy fight, boys! If you want to learn more about Groom-boy and his Lee Valley Tools colleagues, check out the team at http://ca.movember.com/team/449269.
Happy Movember!

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