Movember 2012

Hello everybody.  How are you keeping?

Today is the fourth of November...  Turns and looks at the clock...  Yes, it is still November the fourth where I am right now.

Myself on Movember the 1st 2012

I have decided this year that I will grow a moustache for what people are calling Movember.  The idea of Movember is that those who take part are clean shaven on November the 1st, and then spend the rest of the month growing and taking care of a moustache.  The idea of this is to bring to bring to people's attention health issues specific to men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and other such things.

A big problem with men, myself included (I won't explain that), is that we do not like to go to a doctor for such things and find it embarrassing.  The fact is though that obviously more lives would be saved if we let go of that embarrassment and just went to our doctors as soon as possible.

Me with 'tache in 1993 I think?

From what I can see of the history of Movember, it seemed to have begun in 2003 and started originally in Melbourne, Australia.  Since then it has gone on to become an annual event that has risen in the amount of people taking part, and it has become an international one at that.  You can find out more here.

Last year my brother and some of his work colleagues took part and, if I'm being honest, I didn't really know anything about it until it was too late, but I did decide that I would take part this year, which I am doing.

Me with full beard, 1989

So, with that in mind I have even been to the local newspaper (Newark Advertiser) and have been interviewed for a piece that I hope will be in the paper this coming Thursday about my taking part in it.  I hope it will be in there, as I want to make as many people aware as I can, and I think that the media is a great aid in that sort of thing - to get a message across.

You can of course follow my progress online here.  There you will find photographs that I will be uploading during the month, and the occasional video as well, although the first one I put up was incredibly quiet, which I apologise for.  We are also raising money for research specifically into things such as those cancers mentioned, and you can donate money through a link on my mospace (yes, I like how everything has a Mo attached to it somehow).

Me as I am doing this blog.

Thank you for reading, and please take care.

You'll hear mo' from me soon.

4th Movember 2012 (41 years, 11 months, and 9 days old).