It’s the 30th of November, which means that this is the last day of Movember, the world wide mens’ charity moustache growing event for prostate cancer research. Here’s my progress, each photo is roughly a week apart:
Whilst I did set up a Movemeber.com charity page to show my participation, I didn’t advertise it. The reason is that I believe that charity is a personal matter. It annoys me profusely to be constantly asked for cash for this and that good cause. Who I chose to give my money to is my business and a matter for my personal conscience and I will decided when and where I do that. I extend the same courtesy to everyone else, so it will be a rare day indeed that you ever get a begging message from me.
With Christmas round the corner, this is ties in with another of my annoyances: Christmas cards! I hate the commercialisation of Christmas and the social pressure that is put on people to conform to the xmas card exchanging frenzy that goes on this time of year. Woe betide you if you fail to remember to send someone a card who sends you one! Each year the xmas card list grows bigger and bigger incorporating everyone who has ever sent you one. It has become an annual popularity contest, the more cards you get, the more people must like you, yes? No! People mostly send cards out of obligation. Don’t be fooled by getting a large pile of cards that you are popular.
Some years ago, we decided not to play that game any more, so we just stopped. We send no Christmas cards out at all, none! Instead we take the money we would have spent on cards and postage and donate that to a worthy cause. To date, we have donated about £500 to charity as a result of following this policy. This year our donation will go to prostate cancer, as it is the Movember cause.
I should say that I am not a curmudgeon, rather than sending a bit of cardboard tat, I do a radical thing at Christmas: I pick up the phone and call people! Radical huh? 😉 Just to be clear then, you will not get a card from me this festive season, nor do I expect or want one from you.
So, I am not asking you for a charitable donation to Movember, but I would ask you to consider rejecting the commercialisation of Christmas and instead of sending cards, make a donation to charity. If not Movember, then something seasonal or something close to your heart.
Merry Christmas. 😉
