I should have published this at the beginning of October, but it is always better late than never. As you know, October is SIDS Awareness Month...or at least it is supposed to be. A little research, some boredom, and a bit of curiosity led your Daddy to look up more about "awareness" (more on that in a minute) months. In total, Daddy's research found 39 "awareness" campaigns for the month of October...yes, Daddy did say 39!
With 39 separate "awareness" campaigns, what are we really being made aware of? Do we really need a Pharmacy Awareness Month (#4), or a Bat Appreciation Month (#7), or even a Celebrate the Bilingual Child Month (#11)? Are these just excuses for Hallmark to sell more cards or for more telemarketers and junk mailers to flood our homes and invade our personal space until we crack under the pressure of associative or assumptive guilt? Your Daddy is starting to think so. I do think that "awareness" campaigns have a place, but that place is clouded when every organization jumps on the bandwagon and now has a recognized or sanctioned month in order to bombard me with their messages even more during "their" month.
"Their month," hmmmmm, does that even exist with 39 campaigns in a 31 day month? See where I am going? Your Daddy is not saying that October should exclusively be SIDS Awareness Month...nothing like that at all actually. All Daddy wants is for people to stop slicing out 30 (+/-) days per year to fight for their cause (Daddy would be happy to see all "awareness" campaigns disappear since the "awareness" disappears soon after) and to live and fight for their cause every single day. This does not mean to go out and annoy people every day with "Support XYZ" signs or constant reminders of what they/we feel strongly about. Rather, support your cause by researching, getting involved, donating money or time, educating others (in non-obnoxious ways) and walking the walk. Maybe then, SIDS Awareness...and all other "awareness" campaigns will get the face time they deserve.
I love you little man!
Daddy
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Oh, here is the list of everything found so far for October "awareness":
- Adopt A Shelter Dog Month
- AIDS Awareness Month, National (National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project)
- America‘s Walk for Diabetes Month (American Diabetes Association)
- American Pharmacy Month, National (American Pharmacists Association)
- Animal Safety and Protection Month ( The Humane Society of the United States)
- Antidepressant Death Awareness Month (FDA)
- Bat Appreciation Month (Benefits of Bats)
- Brain Injury Awareness Month, National ( Brain Injury Association of America)
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National
- Bullying Prevention Month, National (PACER Center, Inc.)
- Celebrate the Bilingual Child Month
- Celiac Sprue Awareness Month (Celiac Sprue Association)
- Church Safety & Security Month (Safe Church)
- Crime Prevention Month, National
- Dental Hygiene Month, National
- Depression Education & Awareness Month, National (The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Depression Info.)
- Disability Employment Awareness Month, National (U.S. Department of Labor (Office of Disability Employment Policy))
- Diversity Awareness Month
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month ( National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
- Down Syndrome Month (National Down Syndrome Society)
- Family Health Month (American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Glaucoma Awareness Month, National ( National Glaucoma Society)
- Healthier Babies Month, National
- Healthy Lungs Month, National (
American Lung Association)
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15th – Oct 15th) - Lewy Body Dementia Awareness Month (Lewy Body Dementia Association)
- Liver Awareness Month, National (American Liver Foundation)
- Month To Remember The Loss of a Child
- National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
- Pastor Appreciation Month (Pastor-Appreciation.net)
- Physical Therapy Month, National (American Physical Therapy Assoc.)
- Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) Awareness Month (PCD Foundation)
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) Awareness Month (RSD Association)
- Rett Syndrome Awareness Month (Rett Syndrome Foundation
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Awareness Month
- Spina Bifida Awareness Month, National (Spina Bifida Association of America)
- Spinal Health Month, National ( The American Chiropractic Association)
- Substance Abuse Prevention Month (The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign)
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month ( American SIDS Institute)
- Youth Against Tobacco Month (NoTobacco.org)
I know your point is that there are far too many causes for one particular month, but October is also National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, with October 15th being National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. I agree that we should live each day raising awareness for whatever causes we are fighting for, and not just one month, or one day, of the year. As we both know, when your child has died, it just doesn't affect you one day or one month per year, but every single moment for the rest of your life.
ReplyDeleteBrianna,
ReplyDeleteI will add it to the list, but I already addressed October 15 in another post. This post was meant to make people think about day-to-day responses to activism.
steven
I noticed that a while back too. It seems like that kind of overload just hinders these awareness campaigns more than anything, just because there are so many of them. That's sorta like having all of the major holidays in one month. Too much in too little time.
ReplyDeleteOk, I am not going to change my post every time I find (or someone sends me a list of awareness campaigns for a particular month, but the total for October is up to 68 so far. That means I can only be aware of any one thing for about 11 hours a day. Wow, think of all I can get accomplished in those 11 hours!
ReplyDeletehere is a ridiculist for what I am talking about
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mhprofessional.com/?page=/mhp/categories/chases/content/special_months.html