It’s a Man’s World!
Growing a moustache in November for men’s health.
Many men are reluctant to take their health seriously and have annual medical check-ups. Unlike women, who are more diligent in this regard, men are either afraid to know what may be wrong with their health or find the whole business unmanly. They seem to think that admitting to being ill is equivalent to showing weakness. There is a general tendency to hide a medical condition until it is too late to be treated. My own father would not walk within a mile of a hospital. I am not sure if he ever entered one when his children were born either to have a look at them or to visit my mother. He was that scared of doctors! This kind of attitude has fatal consequences. A lot of men are diagnosed too late with prostate cancer (or other forms of cancer) for effective treatment. Prostate cancer can be overcome if caught early but many men find the check-up process demeaning and embarrassing.
I have to admit that prior to coming to Austria I was one of these men. In my defence, I was 27 years old when I came here and, at that young age, thoughts of prostate or testicular cancer were very far from my mind. There is a sense of invulnerability at that age. The world at large is your oyster and you feel as if life is still ahead of you. One nasty bout with a burst appendix changed my perspective forever. Now that I am over fifty, I find that I am still wary of doctors and medicines but I do go through the process of a yearly check-up. Being poked and prodded is not something so drastic and I have gotten used to giving blood and urine samples. I have had one colonoscopy so far, and yes, it is a bit uncomfortable and the shorts with the flap at the back are the silliest thing since the selfie but they are an attempt at giving the patient a thin veneer of dignity in a very undignified situation. Thankfully nothing was found which means the next one is in five years’ time. All in all, the check-up involves maybe a couple of mornings or afternoons at various doctors’ and specialists’ offices. A small price to pay for continued good health.
A few years ago, a friend made me aware of an organisation called Movember. The aim of this foundation is to raise awareness about the risks of prostate and testicular cancer, to help deal with psychological problems and to prevent male suicides. They support men going through their fight with cancer or depression simply by organizing events to improve their lifestyle. One of the most creative ways to help this organization is to grow a moustache in the month of November (hence the name) and gather donations for it or at least urge every person who makes a comment about it to make a donation. There is a great sense of solidarity in this foundation in their fight for better health for men. (They have an Austrian branch too, so look them up!)
So in preparation for this November I shaved off my goatee in summer and let the sun’s rays turn my fleshy chin (or chins as some of my cheeky friends would say) brown. A lot of people commented that I looked younger clean-shaven and that was gratifying to hear, but that was not the purpose of the exercise. By mid-October I started growing a moustache to remind people of Movember and encourage them to make a donation. I hoped to have a respectable, if not exactly mind-blowing, moustache by November 1st. The last time I grew just a moustache was when I was travelling to the USA. I applied for a visa and the photo on my passport was terrible! They made a dark photocopy of it which made me look like Fidel Castro’s son. I was pretty sure that I would be stopped and searched in New York but instead they stopped this sweet old granny just in front of me. I guess she should have grown a moustache too!
If you are over fifty, do get a check-up annually. Do it for your own peace of mind and that of your loved ones. And grow a moustache in November to help other men too!