Friday, March 5, 2010

Bringing in Awareness

BY JOHNICE WOODS

I love research!!! One of the many things I love to research is monthly observances. Most of us are familiar with some of the common observances like, Breast Cancer Awareness and National Domestic Violence Month in October, and Black History Month in February. The truth is there are approximately 50 different observances each month as well as weekly observances. Some are profound and some, well, in my opinion are a bit strange. Take for instance, June is Lane Courtesy Month and National Bathroom Reading Month; May is National Vinegar Month; March is Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig Month (I don’t know if I have ever seen a lost guinea pig); and February and November are Sweet Potato Month (wow, they actually have two months).

See the site http://www.brownielocks.com/holidayauthenticity.html for all other monthly and weekly observances.

I like to observe and research topics that relate to my career and personal experiences. This month is Humorists Are Artists Month. I love humor. Without humor we would collapse under the weight of stress and imperfection. One of my favorite cartoonists is Gary Larson. As a child, my family’s first vacation was to Denver, Colorado. We visited the Denver Arts Museum and Gary Larson had an exhibition of his work, The Far Side. I was hooked. His depiction of everyday surroundings is remarkable. To this day, I can’t see a cow without thinking of what they are thinking about us (I know, I have a quirky sense of humor).

Blogger Steph Hicks from Oregon wrote, “The expressions of Larson's characters are priceless. He captures the annoyed look of a housewife, the terrified look of passengers on a plane, and the goofy look of a simpleton, all with a few pen strokes. Larson's humorous observations of the mundane details of everyday life, from laundry to childcare, make you laugh out loud because they are so accurate! It’s amazing to think that this guy never had art lessons.”

Here are a few of my favorites (I have lots):





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