It took me till almost the middle of November but I finally joined the ranks of the moustache growing men. I’ve had a beard for the past 10 years so it was different from the usual scenario where men who are normally clean-shaven begin to grow a moustache. In my case I shaved off the beard and left a generous moustache down to my chin!
For the uninformed, MOvember has been a custom now for a few years to draw attention to prostate cancer, the most commmon form of cancer among men, and to stand in solidarity with those who have been diagnosed. In my case, I have a brother-in-law as well as a father-in-law who have received treatment and/or surgery for prostate cancer. Another brother-in-law is dying of pancreatic/liver cancer right now. Cancer is a reality for us in North America. It is the great equalizer. It strikes at random and affects all segments of our society.
MOvember is about growing hair while other awareness campaigns have certain colours of ribbons, etc. The growing of extra hair is an interesting phenomenon. I’ve always liked long hair and a beard. When my parents stopped dicatating my hair length and I was able to grow a beard [basically around the same time] I have had long hair and a beard. What is it about hair? Most women of course spend more time grooming their hair than most men do, but hair is a thing for men too! Some of us endure hair loss [My best friend is bald] and in this month it is particularly evident that we grow a wide variety of facial hair configurations.
My colleague and I have sometimes joked that we would like to introduce a new course on the theology of hair. It can represent lots of things for men: rebellion, conformity, status, masculinity, etc. This month it is about solidarity with other men and about awareness of our vulnerability as men.
