Public Notice
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, among other things, and "Public Notice" wants you to feel the love.
By Kate X Messer, Fri., Sept. 29, 2000
I Touch Myself
Oh, look at you standing there, naked in front of the mirror. Aren't you something? Yes, you are. It gets you all hot and bothered to bask in your own loveliness, now, doesn't it? You might as well be someone else, the way you read every curve, every tuft, every nook and hollow -- the way you toss those loving glances without a shred of self-conscious inhibition. Oh, we could all do well to love ourselves so well. Your body is a temple, a monument, an altar, a pew, a romantic getaway to the Champs Elysées. You are an example to us all. Look! While you're there, admiring all that wonder, Venus, do us and yourself a favor, would you please?
Touch yourself.
Only an estimated 33% of women actually perform routine breast exams on their beautiful orbs. Breast self exams should be performed monthly. While you're in front of that mirror, put your arms at your sides, then raise them above your head. Look carefully for changes in the size, shape, and contour of each of your lovely breasts. Look for puckering, dimpling, or changes in that skin texture. Gently squeeze both nipples and look for discharge. Want a change of venue? Try the shower: Raise one arm. With fingers flat, touch every part of each of those ample orbs or modest mounds, gently feeling for a lump or thickening. Use your right hand to examine your left breast, and we shouldn't have to tell you which hand for your right one. Tired? Try it lying down: Place a towel or pillow under your right shoulder and your right hand behind your head. Examine your right breast with your left hand. Fingers flat, press gently in small circles, starting at the outermost top edge of your breast and spiraling in toward the nipple (just like your doctor does). Examine every part of the breast. Repeat with left breast. With your arm resting on a firm surface, use the same circular motion to examine the underarm area. Okay. You are good to go.
Oh, and if you are not female, you have stuff to check too. But since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're going to focus on the ladies for a bit. We're sure you don't mind, plus there are ways you can get involved, too, big fella. (Well, sure ... that, but you'll have to ask her permission first ...)
You have all of October to prepare for the two big cap-off BCAM events, the 2000 Komen Concert for the Cure, featuring a reunion of top-brass, Austin sassy lasses Marcia Ball, Angela Strehli, and Lou Ann Barton, plus special guest Donna Hightower, Friday, Nov. 3, 7:30pm, at the Ben Hur Shrine Temple (more on that later, you betcha), and the 2000 Komen 5K Race for the Cure, Sunday, Nov. 5, 8am, launching at GSD&M. Both huge hullaballoos will benefit the Austin Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. www.concert4thecure.org or 292-9130 and www.austinraceforthecure.org or 427-4833.
Missed Opportunities
... of the Volunteer variety. We missed these two over the period of our three-week Volunteer Opportunity List A-Z. We hope they'll find it in their hearts to forgive us:
Inside Books sends free books to folks in Texas prisons. Sundays, at the MACC, 600 River, 4-7pm. 647-4803.
Seniors & Volunteers for Childhood Immunization needs folks to visit mothers of newborns at St. David's and North Austin Medical Center to help enroll parents in a free immunization-reminder program. 100 N. I-35, ste. 3800. 473-4130.
Coming & Going
The Limbs for Life Foundation, a group dedicated to raise awareness for the plight of amputees, will be coming to Austin, via Oklahoma City on their Project 50 2000 508-mile bike journey, to raise $$$ for 50 limbs. The last week in September is Amputee Awareness Week and you can greet the incoming at Waterloo Park, today, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2pm. 888/235-5462.
€ Not to add to the university-area traffic crunch, but the UT Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps are going to Dallas in their annual Run to Dallas, 240-mile run in which members of the battalion catch and relay a game ball pass from Mack Brown, Thursday, Oct. 5, 11:30am at the north end of Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Funds raised will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It's also the big kick-off for Texas-OU Week. Oh, boy. 471-7647 or 836-6523.
