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10 pounds down 32 pounds to go!

Friday, November 07, 2008

"God was my co-pilot but then we crashed into a mountain and I had to eat him"

A long time ago when my mom was just sick instead of gone, my aunt gave me one of those pink ribbon magnets for my car. I should say she tried to give it to me, I wouldn't take it. She had bought a whole bunch of them, she had one of every color on her car: cancer, the troops, one for everything. My refusal was sort of a big deal and apparently I have no tact with that sort of situation. I don't always see the benefit of lying for the sake of others and probably I'm a bad person. I admit it freely, and right up at the top here because the rest of this post gets a little cranky..

Today at the grocery store the wall o' pink products was on sale. It was very difficult to not buy a pink broom, or some pink pot holders or anything really because I love me some random pink stuff. But I couldn't do it and not just because I'm not supposed to be spending on random things. I hate all that breast cancer awareness crap. That might even be too specific, I hate all that raising money for a cause by buying stuff to stick to your car or because it's a certain color. I don't believe that buying cupcake liners with pink ribbons on them cures cancer, I just really don't and it makes me insane that companies profit from selling us the idea that they're doing a good thing by offering us these products to buy.

My aunt bought those magnets because she genuinely thought it would help. I think sitting with my mom when she was dying was what genuinely helped. I think it's despicable of companies to take advantage of people who want to do good in the world. I think it's despicable that cancer will never have a cure because it's just too profitable the way it is. A friend of a friend just cured his own cancer with a natural remedy that his doctor was legally not allowed to tell him about. He found it on his own and his cancer is gone. But that doesn't make his hospital any money, or the insurance company, or the pharmaceutical company, never mind any of the researchers that work so hard until they get close to a discovery and then disappear. I guarantee you that's a story you'll never hear on Oprah or any other mainstream media.

I hate that companies use the disease that killed my mother to make money. I hate that people who collect for that kind of thing outside the grocery store look at me like a I'm a bad person because I don't donate. I give happily to families struggling under their medical bills because of cancer and inadequate health insurance but I won't give to the industry. I don't need a pink frying pan to remember my mother and her suffering, I never will. And it sucks because I'd love a pink frying pan, ironic.

2 comments:

Debbi said...

Amen, amen, amen.

Write to your congressman and ask him/her to support HR676, which takes insurance companies out of the healthcare equation.

I think your mother would love it that you honor her by NOT buying pink stuff.

Sugarcrook said...

There are sites like http://www.charitywatch.org that will help cut through the chaff when it comes to charities. There was one mentioned on the local news that evaluated the various breast cancer charities, but I can't remember it now.

Regarding a pink frying pan - they have this stuff called spray paint...
Heat is a problem but there is high heat paint available for exhausts.