Pass the Pepto Bismol™ for all this PINK!

Just a wee bit of a rant. Everything on the planet is pink this month. I really think we already KNOW why, but on the off chance that you live under a rock? The world is pink to bring AWARENESS about Breast Cancer.

For crying out loud, shame on you if you aren't aware of breast cancer. Do you really need to eat pink cupcakes from the supermarket to be aware? Is coloring your profile picture Pepto Bismol™ pink going to make you somehow know more about breast cancer through pink osmosis?

Okay, yes, yes, yes, I know it's a noble cause. But let's stop coloring the world pink and start finding a cure. I liken the pink explosion to the magnetic ribbons on the back of vehicles. Lip service with little to no personal investment.

How about something a little more effective? May I suggest bypassing the purchase of pink merchandise that you don't really need (ribbons, tshirts, wristbands, etc.) and donate the full amount to a local breast cancer charity? Such a small percentage of the money spent actually makes it back to the original cause. 10% of a $20 shirt nets the charity $2 and you a shirt you don't really need.

Search for a Making Strides fundraiser in your area or maybe a smaller charity that could use the extra donation. I can privately tell you about a NE Ohio foundation that does wonderful work. It covers the expenses that insurance does not cover. For example, when one woman was in danger of losing her house due to lost income during treatment, this foundation paid her mortgage. Look for a hospice organization needing volunteers or donations. Find a way to care about breast cancer that doesn't trivialize it.

As much fun as we have telling people we "like it on the table or in the car" or to "save the tatas" or "feel our boobies", sexualizing breast cancer insults the families that battle this disease. We can do better and we can do more. It's time to move past awareness into a CURE.