Slip, Slop, Slapping into Autumn

Autumn begins September 23, 2011.  That means that summer has ended and sunscreen can be put away into the medicine cabinet for several months until warm weather returns.

Or does it? 

Think about it.  Particularly in North Carolina and the rest of the south, most people stay inside during the summer.  It’s hot.  Not just a little warm…but HOT!  Sure, the swimming pools are open and there are plenty of outdoor activities, but your main concern is to find air conditioning.  But now that it’s late September, the temperatures rise only into the 70’s and 80’s.  It’s the perfect weather for getting outside in your shorts and short-sleeved attire.  It’s great weather for golfing, playing tennis, hiking, or attending a college football game.  It’s a great time to be in the sun.  That should be your first clue that you still need to protect yourself.

But what about when the weather gets colder?  You have to remember that UV radiation is not dependent on the warmth of the day.  If the sun is shining, it’s dragging UV radiation along with it…even if it’s freezing outside.  This also includes cloudy days.  If you can see your hand in front of your face, there’s enough UV radiation to cause sun damage.

Make sure to always follow the basic rules of sun protection:

·         Slip on longer sleeves and/or protective clothing

·         Slop on the sunscreen (and apply more than you think necessary)

·         Slap on a hat (your scalp gets more sun than any other part of your body!)

·         Seek shade

·         Slide on some sun glasses (yes, you can get melanoma in the eyes!)

“Slip, slop, slap, seek, and slide.”  Remember it…year round!    

A (Hopeful) Sign of Things to Come...

I apologize for having not posted many thoughts lately.  As I alluded to in a previous post, we had a “work force adjustment” at my company.  Luckily, I survived the cut, but my workload has near doubled as a result.  I have been simply too physically and mentally exhausted to keep up any fresh thoughts on this blog or my Facebook page.  But things are stabilizing now, so I should be back to my blogging self in no time.

I want to share something quite exciting.  This past Saturday, my family and I went to our family haircut.  As I mentioned before in yet another post (wow, I never realized I shared so much of my personal life here), my wife, kids and I all visit the hair stylist every six weeks or so as a group.   I had a little dilemma in that it was a hair AND tanning salon.  We really like our stylist Shannon, but there was something about the tanning booths in the back room that gave me the willies.  However, this past weekend, we were greeted with the following sign inside the shop:

          “Sorry to announce we will no longer be offering tanning…”

Sure enough, I saw that the “Legacy” and other tanning equipment sitting in the back unplugged.  My immediate reaction was to say, “Yea!”

I asked Shannon why they decided to quit the tanning business.  She went on to explain that there were three reasons.  First, there’s the recent 10% federal tax on tanning.  Secondly, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Radiation Protection apparently has significantly increased the fees to operate radiation-inducing equipment.  And finally, the recent introduced legislation to require teens to have a doctor’s prescription to use a tanning bed was the last straw.  Oddly enough, although that legislation sits in limbo, it still had a direct effect on closing down one tanning operation.

A part of me was a little disappointed at first in that this was a small local business being adversely affected by government regulations.  It’s tough enough for small businesses to make it nowadays, so I felt some sadness that their livelihood may have been affected.  But when I asked how much business was lost, I was told, “not much…just spotty business around prom time.”  My guilt flittered away immediately and I happy to know that (a) a local business will most likely continue and (b) a few prom-aged girls might be unknowingly spared a horrible disease.

A fourth reason for turning off the beds was cited:  the big-named tanning salons in town.  These are the places that truly need to be regulated more…but we’ll take one victory at a time.

Finally, let me just say that Shannon is not the business owner, so the decisions one way or the other were not hers.  But I found two comments she made during my haircut rather interesting.  First, “I’m kinda glad those things are turned off…I have to wonder how safe it was to work here.”  And secondly, “my husband’s mother (I think) died of melanoma…so I’m not unhappy to see them go.”

Neither am I…neither am I.

Remember...

September 11 is a day for remembering.  It’s the National Day of Remembrance and Service.  The reasons are obvious.

We all remember where we were 10 years ago.  It was one of those days that you can specifically answer the question, “what were you doing when….?”  I was at work when I heard…the infant internet was so slow due to so many people searching for information.  We found a TV and turned it on.  Work came to a stop as the world paused for hours.  We all went home early to be with our families.  I had no kids at the time, but my wife and I went to church afterwards…then spent the evening watching the news.  What a day…to always be remembered.

What does this post have to do with melanoma awareness?  Nothing…and everything.  Today is not the day to preach about anything other than remembering.  But I ask that you remember those who have fought melanoma, worked to raise awareness, and were lost.  Like the terrorists, melanoma is a cowardly attacker with no concern for the person attacked or their families.  It’s vicious…and it needs to be stopped.  It took an awful act 10 years ago to make this country aware of the threats against us.  It took the attack of melanoma on my brother Jeff about one year ago to make me aware of the disease.  It’s best that we don’t wait for another attack…but prepare and increase awareness.  We need to take precautions.  Security in the airports…sunscreen in the sun.

I don’t mean to ride the coattails of this day of remembering…on September 11…and I apologize if my choice to make such comments on this day is offensive.  Our focus TODAY should be on the events that reshaped this country.  But I ask that on other days, remember the Tinas, Erics, Tabithas…and Jeffs.  Remember those who were attacked by melanoma…and take action to prevent this from ever happening to others.

Always remember…

T-Shirt Update

UPDATE!

The T-shirts (and coffee mugs) are NOW AVAILABLE!  Please visit the store at www.zazzle.com/blackisthenewpink

When I first started this "Black is the New Pink" awareness campaign, I figured I'd just write a few words in a blog and that would be that.  But then I saw so many t-shirts announcing various causes and charities, so I thought a BITNP t-shirt would be a nice way to spread the word even more.  I bought a $2 black t-shirt from AC Moore and a pack of printable iron-on sheets from OfficeMax and made my first shirt.

Frankly, it looked like a home-made printable iron-on t-shirt, but others seemed to like the design and idea.  So I made another...this time with the BITNP header on the back and the black ribbon on the pink field on the front.  I liked this design...as did others, but it still had that iron-on look.

I had other ideas.  My "Skin Cancer IS Cancer" design seemed to get a lot of positive feedback as I've found it plastered proudly on many blogs and websites.  Unfornuately, I couldn't recreate that design successfully with an iron-on...I needed professional help.

In the meantime, I've been receiving inquiries..."Where can I get that shirt?"  "Are the t-shirts for sale?"

<sigh>

I was very frustrated.  I could think of no better way of spreading the BITMP message than with t-shirts, hats, or other such trinkets.  But frankly, I'm an engineer, dammit...not a marketing director.

I was told to visit CafePress...a website where one can set-up one's own online store.  They'd manufacture the merchandise, sell it, ship it, and offer a little commission, which I'd gladly forward onto MRF or the Skin Cancer Foundation.  It seemed like a winner to me, so I started to set it up.  I decied to go with my black design with the header on the back and the ribbon on the front.  I felt that this was the best design for mass appeal.  However, once I got it designed and set-up, CafePress assigned a price of $29.99.  Yikes!  I can't ask strangers to shell out nearly 30 bucks for such a shirt when I really don't know what the quality would be.  So, I decided to not pursue this particular site.

Ironically, I logged onto Blogger to share this evolution of the BITNP t-shirt, but was side-tracked by reading a couple of other blogs first.  And wouldn't you know it, on Chelsea's blog was an ad for VistaPint...a t-shirt and merchandise website.  I quickly submitted the same design and came up with a price of just over half of the other site!  Whoo hoo!  The only problem is, they don't seem to have an "online store" system set up like CafePress.  Not to be denied, I've emailed VistaPrint with my problem and hope to hear something positive soon.

Anyhow, my original intent was to petition you...the readers...and ask if any of you have any suggestions.  Personally, I don't have the time to hand-make every shirt...and I don't have the financial means to stock-pile and ship shirts myself.  The CafePress online store concept is ideal...but I can't very well charge $30 for a t-shirt...$20 maybe, but not $30.  Heck, I can get shoes cheaper than $30.  (Have I mentioned that I could use some fashion help?)

I look forward to your comments...and I really REALLY hope to have something soon so that you might be able to wear your BITNP message as much as I do!

Simple Gifts

With the opening of the college football season just a week or so away, excitement levels are rising.  I’m a graduate of West Virginia University and we WVU fans are crazy about our football.  After all, we have no pro sport teams in our state, and while Marshall University fans are as enthusiastic (and they have their own movie), the Mountaineers carry the name of our state with them.  It’s not just a college-wide pride; it’s a state-wide pride.

What really sets the WVU anxiety blazing is what happens just before the game.  “Simple Gifts.”  It’s the soft and gentle popular section of Aaron Copeland’s score of “Appalachian Spring.”  You’d know it if you heard it.  The WVU Marching Band (also known as the Pride of West Virginia), like many other university bands, plays certain songs as part of their pre-game show:  the fight song, the alma-mater, the National Anthem, etc.  While the Pride adds John Denver’s “Country Roads” and the hillbilly anthem “Good Ol’ Mountain Dew” to the repertoire, the addition of “Simple Gifts” is what stirs the heart of many Mountaineers.

The band starts in a “WVU” formation and marches in complex patterns while playing the soft tune, ultimately marching into a tightly packed circle with all instruments facing in.  Then the band turns during a drum roll and a part of “Fanfare for the Common Man” kicks in and the crowd goes wild.  A louder more enthusiastic rendition of “Simple Gifts” starts back up again as the band members march out in expanding circles.  I can’t really say why, but this has always been a goose-bump inducing scene and always will be.  But this year, it’s even more stirring.

My brother was a manager for the football team when he attended school in the mid-70’s.  He loved working the practices and the sidelines during the games.  He made lifelong friends with many of the team (and he got me a great autographed football for my 15^th birthday that I still have today) and followed the team closely for the rest of his life.  A couple years ago, he shared with me that the pre-game show was on YouTube, and we both would watch “Simple Gifts” every day for the week or two prior to the new season.

It was about a year ago that he discovered that his melanoma had returned and knew that he had a very VERY difficult fight ahead.  He posted the news in Facebook on Friday, September 3, and attended a WVU game the next day.  Despite the devastating news…or perhaps because of it, he insisted on watching his Mountaineers play.

Two or three weeks later, he attended his last game.  The two hour drive to see a game got to be too much and I believe he knew it could be the last time he saw the blue and gold.  When I talked to Debbie (Jeff’s wife) months later, she told me that Jeff had the most incredible time, despite the fact that his body was failing him.  She said that during the pre-game show, he started to bawl.  Jeff admitted through his tears how much he truly loved the university that gave him his education, transformed him into a man, and introduced him to his life-long love, Debbie.

My cousin Steve Dunlap (yes…we have a lot of cousins in West Virginia) is a defensive coach for the Mountaineers.  He had heard of Jeff’s condition and invited my brother to the locker room after the game.  Steve gave him a true behind-the-scenes tour.  Jeff met players, saw facilities seen by only a select few, and was presented with an official coach’s shirt and hat.  He called me when he got back home and I had never heard such excitement from my brother.  This tour was truly a dream-come-true.  It was an incredible gesture from my cousin and the university that Jeff loved so well.  It meant so very much to him and gave him such great joy. 

One couldn’t ask for more from such a simple gift.

Where To Look

I was looking through the Melanoma Education Foundation website (check it out) and found a good graphic on where melanoma originates on caucasion males and females:



©Melanoma Education Foundation

 It astounded me that half (50%) of all melanoma found on men occurs on their trunk...and mostly on their back.  (That's where my brother first found it on him).  It's important to use a mirror when checking yourself...or better yet, a partner that can check for you.

And for readers and friends of darker tones, the MEF has this to share:

"Common locations of melanomas in the Asian, Hispanic, and African-American population are on the soles of feet, palms, between toes and fingers, and under toenails and fingernails (especially the large toenail and thumbnail)."

Below is a photo of a melanoma spotted under a toenail that might be mistaken for toenail fungus:

©Melanoma Education Foundation

Check yourself monthly and have a board-certified dermatologist take a look at you annually!

The Gorgeous Tan?

The other day, I was at the grocery store when the male teenaged check-out clerk looked past my shoulder and muttered, “Wow!”  I turned to follow his drooling gaze and saw an attractive young woman walking into the store.  She was wearing a light blue spaghetti-strap top, white summer shorts, and flip-flops; had short dark hair; and sported a gorgeous tan (with tell-tale tan lines near her neck).

Oops…I said a bad word there…didn’t I?  Put down the heavy objects and let me continue (this includes you Chelsea).

I admit that I always had a “thing” about tanned girls.  I also had an attraction to freckled girls as well.  I grew up in a “baby-oil as sun-block” environment, so I pretty much everyone of the opposite sex was either tanned or freckled in the summer.  Basically, I was programmed to appreciate sun-kissed skin.  And this was my initial impression of this lady walking into the grocery store.

But then the black wristband twisted my arm a bit and I reassessed my thoughts.  Did I really think she had a gorgeous tan, or was she a gorgeous girl with a tan?  As I think back now, I was as attracted to certain girls in high school and college in the sweater-bundled winter months in West Virginia as I was during the summer months.  It wasn’t the tan after all.

My point is that one doesn’t need a tan to look attractive.  Take a look at these two famous celebrities:

© http://www.mahgoud.blogspot.com/ and ©www.imbd.com

Can you imagine what Nicole Kidman or Anne Hathaway would look like with a tan?  Neither can I.  Their natural tone is so incredibly beautiful that anything other than “natural” would be a negative distraction.

But it’s not just about being pale.  Can you imagine these beautiful women with unnaturally lighter skin?

©www.billboard.com and ©www.unseensports.blogpot.com

No matter the shade, dark or light, it's the natrual look that's best.

I’m not the only one to think this.  I ran across a website asking which of Angelina Jolie’s “look” below was preferred:



© http://www.damnimcute.com/

A whopping 70.74% of the voters chose the “pale,” more natural look.

Again, it’s all about NATURAL tones.  One should embrace one’s natural skin tone.  Staying out of the sun, AND TANNING BEDS, helps keep your skin naturally beautiful.  It also reduces skin aging and inhibits the formation of wrinkles.  Keeping one’s skin naturally beautiful might even make this crew a little more attractive:



© http://www.fanpop.com/



Well…maybe.

Remember, getting a tan just makes you more tan…it’s doesn’t make you more beautiful.