“Waking up today, I didn’t think today’s the day I am going to wear a moustache.”
I sat down for lunch with my moustache-clad teammate Mo Sista Caron after a fun Mo photoshoot with the down-to-earth guys at Hailo – all of whom are growing Mos!
Laura is a cheerful server at Bistro 243, but leads a second life as an aspiring interior decorator. She’s knows of Movember, but was shocked to learn some stats like over $124 million dollars was raised last year, or even that women can participate in Movember.
Laura thinks some people may not participate because they don’t think they can raise a lot of money. However, the money raised is only part of the equation. The other part is having open and honest conversations to break the stigma of talking about men’s health and mental health. Every body can do this, and not just during the month of Movember.
A group of 10 guys sat at the table next to us, and they were interested in the conversation. I blatantly asked if they had gone for their annual checkup with the doctor. They said, “no, men only need to go to the doctor in their 40s.” FALSE! MEN OF ALL AGES NEED TO LOOK AFTER THIER HEALTH AND VISIT THE DOCTOR ANNUALLY. Even in their 20s, men need to talk to their doctor about testicular cancer, skin cancer, STDs, mental health, among many other health related concerns. Myth busted. Look after your health boys. It matters.
Laura scurries back around and I ask if she ever considered participating in Movember by raising awareness and funds. She hasn’t really thought of it, but she wouldn’t mind if her partner decided to grow a mo. “He has curly hair so I’m not sure what kind of beast it would unleash,” she declares. The more outrageous, the better I say! If the moustache is a billboard for conversations about prostate cancer and men’s health, then an eye-catching mo will do that better than a perfectly tame mo.
Jenna Jacobson 