Friday, November 27, 2009

Movember Madness

Talking of mind-body connections, I have recently been hosting a symbiotic alien on my upper lip in support of men’s health (that’s me in the front pointing off into the distance).

It’s certainly been interesting watching the various reactions of people to being a mustachioed individual. I’ve also discovered that people can’t resist matching you up with famous people who had mustaches. Our HR manager has Inspector Clouseau down pat, while I have it from various reliable sources that I am indeed Zorro. This now explains all those flamboyant Z’s that have been scribed on walls all around the house, and the masks I find in my laptop bag.

The mustachioed experience has been in support of Movember – to raise money for and promote awareness of men’s health, particularly prostate cancer and depression. As many men die from prostrate cancer as women from breast cancer so it is an important issue.Its been fun so far, with a local hamburger chain giving away free burgers to Mo-Men. Its certainly amusing to line up with around twenty to thirty very dodgy looking guys.

One of the guys in our office, from India, had us beat on day three – he already looked like he’d been growing his for a month.I would say I have definitely suffered for my facial art. My wife had been away for the first two weeks I had grown it, and when she came back she couldn’t stop laughing. ‘I can’t look at you!’ It took a little persuasion to get a kiss. ‘Like kissing a bristle brush,’ was her comment. Things have certainly changed since my father’s generation. He was fond of telling me an old saying he got from his father: ‘Kissing a man without a mustache is like having soup without salt.’ Well it certainly must have made sense once.

Here we are enjoying a pint at the local (I'm second from the far right).














Here I am feeding my symbiotic alien Belgian beer in order to neutralize its psychic power. It claims to have the ability to give me Mojo, but I suspect that this power only worked in the 1970s.

If I can raise $200 by the end of the month, then Movember will do the removal operation at no charge! Help save me from this megalomaniac mustache.

If you feel like donating to a worthy cause please use the link below:

http://au.movember.com/mospace/383746

10 comments:

John Lambshead said...

Enough Belgian Beers and it will look good!
John

Rowena Cory Daniells said...

Chris,

I can't kiss a man with a mo.

My husband caught Chicken Pox and was terribly sick. He couldn't shave and grew a beard. He kept it for 8 years, then complained that I never kissed him anymore.

I explained unless he shaved, I doubted I would ever kiss him again. He shaved it off that day.

The funny thing is, our daughter who was 25 at the time. Hadn't seem him without a beard since she was 7. He went into the hot bread kitchen where she was working ad ordered bread. She thought, Oh, that man looks really familiar, but he didn't say hello. It wasn't until she got home that day and saw him without a beard, that she realised it was her father, she'd served. He's a terrible tease.

Rowena Cory Daniells said...

Ooops, she wasn't 25, she was 15. Hit the wrong key.

Chris McMahon said...

Hi, John. Is that like when you wear beer-glasses?

Chris McMahon said...

Hi, Rowena. Its a funny thing the reaction of family. My kids were a little unsure about it - particularly my 7yr old daughter (who complains about my whiskers even right after I've shaved). My 11yr old son let me off the hook when I explained that it was for charity and that I would shave it off after a month.

I think I would have a rebellion if I tried to keep it!

Anonymous said...

Humph! I think kissing a man with a mustache and beard is much better. No more razor rash.

Symbiotic Alien indeed.

Tom grew his first beard over a summer spent field mapping in Alaska (he's a geologist). So I didn't see the in between stage, just the final results. I was pleased with the results, and haven't let the poor man stay shaved for more than a year at a time since.

John Lambshead said...

Dear Chris
Exactly so!
John

Chris McMahon said...

Hey, matapam. Nice to see someone betting on the other team! I have tried to hint that I grow a full beard one day, maybe on an extended holiday, but no joy on that one yet. I have to do it at least once though.

Kate Paulk said...

Chris, you look wonderfully disreputable with your mo. Perfect look for an author ;)

Chris McMahon said...

Hi, Kate. Tending to the drunken poet perhaps? Its definately a different look. Sometimes I feel like I should be heading off to the club for drinks with chaps, 'What what! Say Jeeves, bring me a Scotch and soda.':)