That Upcoming Month

This month is September. You know that first month of fall where you can feel the first crispness in the air (especially here in New England), back to school, and all that. It is also:

• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
• National Recovery Month
• National Sickle Cell Month
• National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
• Pain Awareness Month
• Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
• 18 National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
• 22 Falls Prevention Awareness Day
• 28 National Women's Health & Fitness Day

The full list contains many more awareness topics. (And the head lice one makes me cringe.) No where does it include the 'Brace for Pinktober' which it should.

Next month is Pinktober, formerly known as October which used to be about Columbus Day, Halloween, costumes and candy, and has some how evolved into being all about pinkification. Instead of everything else which include: 

• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Eye Injury Prevention Month
• National Bullying Prevention Month
• National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
• 6 National Depression Screening Day ®
• 12 - 20 Bone and Joint Health Action Week
• 13 Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
• 16 - 22 International Infection Prevention Week
• 16 World Food Day
• 22 International Stuttering Awareness Day
• 23 - 31 Red Ribbon Week

Personally I think bullying is way more important to many more people than breast cancer because everyone has experienced bullying in some way or another. I have no idea what Red Ribbon week stands for but it is probably covered in pink as well. However it and all the other causes in October have been covered in a big pink blob. And the saddest part is that Metastatic Breast Cancer is buried under that big pink cloud and should get more than a day and a lot more focus.

But I digress. This is time for all of us to put some thought into this and ask ourselves how we are going to avoid pinkification in October. We have almost a full month to come up with ways that do not include the color pink.

(The full list of National Health Observances can be found here.)