We all have our private humiliations burned into our psyche. We also have public ones, often in the form of photographs of ourselves taken in our late teens. I had the misfortune of entering that stage of my life in the late 80s and so have an album of photos of myself in which I sported some truly embarrassing hairstyles, primarily a wide assortment of long fringes. Fortunately, it was a fairly short-lived stage of my life and some time around 1992 I found a boring and conservative hairstyle and have stuck with it loyally ever since.
I say this because I am about to voluntarily subject myself to ridicule and humiliation anew by signing up for Movember. I know this will be the outcome because some people are meant to keep pace with hair fashions; some are meant to sport facial hair. Then there's me.
Many who have enlisted in this month of furry-faced fundraising are debating whether they will be going for the 'Tom Selleck' or the 'Chopper Read'. I will be hoping to merely avoid thirty days of public embarrassment.
Some men seem to have good moustache genes, there are women who seem to have better moustache genes than I do. With my inability to grow a respectable mo I could never have become a 19th-Century General, a World War II Spitfire pilot or a South American revolutionary. Rakish 1950s movie star, 1970s adult film star and 1980s Hawaiian Private Detective would all be callings denied to me because of my inability to sport the appropriate facial fur - amongst other things.
So November, Movember, will be humiliation for a good cause; the equivalent of a turn in the dunking chair at a school fête. Please bear that in mind as I post regular updates.
Please give generously. My wife is offering a donation for me not to participate - having decided to push on despite her protestations, I hope to raise more growing the mo than she offered me not to. The details on how to donate and information about Movember are below.
There is a beer link to Movember though. I recall reading an article years ago saying that the Germans, who then dominated the world beard and moustache competitions, were such successful moustache growers because of their beer which was unfiltered and therefore contained lots of yeast (hefeweizen's remember) and therefore lots of Vitamin B. Vitamin B is apparently conducive to moustache and beard growing. So, starting this afternoon, I am on an intensive month of unfiltered beer drinking. Athletes do their carbo-loading, drinking hefeweizens and lots of Coopers Sparkling is the moustache growing equivalent.
Anyway, if you're interested, I'd welcome the donation to a very good cause.
Movember.
What many people don’t appreciate is that close to 3,000 men die of prostate cancer each year in Australia and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime - many of whom don’t seek help. Facts like these have convinced me I should get involved and I am hoping that you will support me.
To sponsor my Mo, you can either:
• Click this link http://au.movember.com/mospace/151321/ and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account
• Write a cheque payable to ‘Movember Foundation’, referencing my Registration Number 151321 and mailing it to: Movember Foundation, PO Box 292, Prahran, VIC, 3181
Remember, all donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Movember is now in its sixth year and, to date, has achieved some pretty amazing results by working alongside The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCFA) and beyondblue: the national depression initiative. Check out further details at: http://au.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs.
Movember is 7 days old and the moustache isn’t quite taking. I would like to say the dodgy, self taken photo isn’t doing it justice…but it fairly accurately represents the look - I just look like a guy who hasn’t shaved. This week I am going to have to prune away all of the non-top lip whiskers this week which will reveal the natural shape of Mo…
I think I’m well on the way to emulating Ian Watson’s 70s manual arts teacher look from last year…shorts and long socks here I come.