This is a funny story from a few days ago when I was shopping with my sister.
First, let me give you a little background info. I HATE when people ask me if I want to “donate to breast cancer” only because of the fact that they should be saying “donate to breast cancer research” or “donate to fight breast cancer.” Usually I do not make a big deal about it because I know they don’t mean any harm. But I make it a point not to donate when it is phrased this way, on the off chance that they are actually collecting money to help spread breast cancer. I guess this really makes me a grammar Nazi.
So I was at the check out counter, and the little digital pad where I slid my card asked “Donate to breast cancer?” and I made this little sharp comment to my sister and said “NO! I do not want to donate TO breast cancer.” This is sort of a running inside pet peeve/joke between me and my sister, so it got a laugh out of her and I started to chuckle. I seriously didn’t mean anything by it, but the cashier SCOLDED me right then and there. She said, “you don’t have to be so mean about it! You know, men get breast cancer too!” I felt SO, SO bad… I couldn’t even begin to explain why I had said what I said. I apologized sheepishly and told her that I definitely against breast cancer, and that I had donated many times in the past to help fight it. That got me exactly where you might assume that it would: Nowhere.
I’m sorry, but I think your story is funny. It gave me the giggles as I read it.
And I am a breast cancer survivor.
No, I don’t think you are a grammer Nazi, and I also cringe when asked if I want to donate to breast cancer. The whole question is so very sloppy, but that is the way the current culture is going. And I don’t think there is a thing you or I could do about it.
I mostly just say - “Not this time” and go on my way, sniggering to myself. Yes, I do support breast cancer research. Past research has probably saved my life!!!
I was having a really bad day. Out to lunch with a female friend (friend friend, not girl friend.) I had been bitching and moaning about an ex that had wronged me; I was not in a good state of mind.
We split the bill, and it was me that went to the cashier to settle things. The cashier piped up, cheerily: “Would you like to donate $5 to breast cancer research?”
I was in such a funk, I snapped, “Well, I hate women, but I love breasts. So why the hell not. Ring it up.”
Cashier turned ashen; friend doubled over laughing. Donation made.
/doesn’t really hate women, just had been in a bad state that day
I despise Pink Month. I don’t want to wear a ribbon, I don’t want to buy pink Campbell’s soup. Saying a proceeds of the sale will go to breast cancer research will not provide me an incentive to buy. Mostly I hate that companies are using a disease to increase sales.
And yes, my mother, sister (and her father-in-law) and aunt have had breast cancer.
Any establishment that asked me that wouldn’t get chance to ask me twice.
By all means have a donation box on the way out but asking people flat-out like that is bad-mannered in the extreme.
I was dining at a posh London restaurant and when the time came to settle-up I noticed that they had put a £4 donation to the Asian Tsunami relief fund on my bill. They hadn’t mentioned this, it was tucked away down in the extras with a tiny note to say “please ask for this to be removed if you do not wish to donate”
I asked to see the manager and had it taken off plus the service charge. No tip, no nothing. It was a cheap and manipulative stunt on their part and I hope they had many more complaining like I did.
Yeah, almost as many men die of prostate cancer yearly but there are no prostate awareness ribons, walks or runs. Prostate cancer doesn’t even get its own color!
I’ve always wished that my own research was more directly applicable to cancer. As it is, there’s a fairly direct link to Down Syndrome, but it’d be a real stretch to claim it’s cancer-related. Anyway, I’ve always wanted to be able to offer to take whatever money the asker has collected.
“Would you like to help fight breast cancer?”
“I do! Thanks for the money! That will go toward a new PCR machine.”
No, I don’t want to donate a dollar to cancer research, obviously uninterested Walgreens cashier. You’re only asking because your boss would fire you if you didn’t. Nor do I want to buy any pink cupcakes or folders or garden rakes because I don’t know how much money is actually being donated to the American Cancer Society, let alone to the research of cures. I imagine the marketing department is getting paid quite a bit after selling so many magnetic pink ribbons. And why is breast cancer the cause du jour all of a sudden? Oh yeah, because women are probably more likely to care about donating to charity, and women like pink, right? I’m not going to buy a pink product just so I can feel better about myself when I haven’t really done anything.
Blue taxis in Pittsburgh to promote prostate cancer awareness.
I get asked all the time to donate to prostate cancer research. Safeway does a major campaign every year. Prostate cancer doesn’t have quite as high a profile as breast cancer yet, but it’s getting there. Here’s a selection of prostate cancer awareness items if you want to show your support.
Last year I had 2 lumpectomies and 38 days of radiation. I didn’t like it, but it’s a disease and it needed to be treated. That’s it. I refuse to get caught up in the emotion of cancer. I refuse to donate to breast cancer research or any other kind of cancer research. Do not refer to me as a cancer survivor. And get off my lawn.
Hilarious response though. I would have loved to see the look on that cashier’s face.