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Over a month ago, Matthew Oliphant asked me if I would support the Pink for October initiative. I said I would try and do something, for I strongly support it and this October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but unfortunately the only thing I managed to do is write this post to highlight it all. It was also my birthday until 68 minutes ago, which makes me happy (about my birthday falling in this month). Here's some thoughts.

Breast Cancer, Parkinsons and several more of such heavy topics are always important to me, because for most of them I'll know someone in my family or someone close to me who has (had) to battle it. I'm sure that most of the people reading this will know at least someone who has been caught ill by such a sickness, and I'm sure that all of the people reading this care greatly about supporting causes such as the Pink for October initiative. For some, it might mean simply caring in spirit, for others it's taking the time to do a redesign of their website and turn it pink.

Regardless of the way you express it in, the important thing - to me - is that you care about these issues. Care to help in some way or another (spiritually, monetarily, voluntarily, it's all good) and care to spread awareness. Simply put, just care.

Today's culture is dictated by the high-speed digital and online life, the constant pressure of a high workload, the craziness of online viral communities of all sorts and measures, sucking up all your free time but in a way that can't be considered bad, per se. In this whirlwind of stress and activities, it can be a good thing in more than the obvious ways to take some time apart and dedicate it to a good cause of sorts.

For example, I haven't had a chance to post to this blog during all of September - my previous post was August 29th - and while I've had very valid reasons for it, I value this moment right now all the more because of it. Right now, while I have a big workload and two deadlines to catch up on, I'm appreciating the mental serenity of taking the time to write a post dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness. It's giving me a greater sense of satisfaction than spending these last few minutes of my birthday writing on an article. Not exactly the most professional take, perhaps, but for one, it's roughly 1 AM and for another, it's not Breast Cancer Awareness Month each month.

Yes, there are similar Awareness events and periods pretty much every month, but this was one I was explicitly asked to do something for, and I explicitly said that I would try - knowing full well how insane my schedule for September already was.

While I've not had time to try and "pink" up my site for this month, I started initial work on my redesign (which I've been planning for months already) and in honor of all this dedication, I'm thinking I'll put a lot more pink in the color palette. I won't make it in time to launch before the end of October (as I also plan to re-engineer my site in Django), but I doubt that Matthew will hold it against me.

Here's to a good month of spreading awareness, and if you'll please allow me, a good year for me before I turn 25 next October 1st.

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