Can't Turn the White House Gold? Then Do Something Else.

Turn the White House Gold for the month of September.

I signed the petition.  I thought it sounded like a cool idea.

In theory.

I, like so many of my fellow parents of children with cancer, received an email yesterday saying that the White House would not be turned gold for the month of September, but that the President would be proclaiming the month officially as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  I wasn’t really surprised by this.  Disappointed maybe, but not surprised.

The absolute outrage that I have seen on Facebook over it baffles me though.  I am obviously in the minority in terms of not being all that surprised or upset.  I was talking to my husband about it this morning.

By the way, for the record, today - as I sit writing about turning the White House gold - we are marking the 5th anniversary of our son’s death from cancer.  Needless to say, spreading awareness is very important to me.

So as my husband and I were talking, I really started thinking about what it would take to turn the White House gold.  

Numerous light bulbs to start, and if you know of a place that sells gold ones - and I mean truly gold, not yellow - I’d love to know where it is, because yellow light bulbs would just look like the White House had a bug problem that they were trying to fix.

Once they had the light bulbs, then there is the staff requirement to change them all (how many White House staff members does it take to change every light bulb . . .).

Most importantly, how much money would it take to do all of that?

A ha!  There’s the real problem!

Our government is broke.  We all know that they’ve cut funding for cancer research, yet you think they have the money to buy light bulbs?  And if they did have that kind of money, wouldn’t you rather it was given for research rather than . . . light bulbs???

Let’s face it, the real beef here isn’t even that they said no.  Admit it - it’s the fact that they (apparently) turn the White House PINK in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month that bites everyone in the arse.  

But I bet they already have all the pink light bulbs they need, so no additional money is required.

Seriously people, I hate to say “get over it” but really . . . get over it.  A door has been closed in your face, so change paths.  You want the White House gold?  Instead of signing a petition, send them light bulbs.  If every cancer parent in the country sends a couple of light bulbs, I’d be willing to bet they’d have enough.

And then some.

Or, better yet, don’t copy the “turn the White House pink” bit and create a new one.  Instead of sending light bulbs, send gold ribbons that say something about childhood cancer awareness to tie around every tree on the White House grounds.  Inundate them with gold to decorate the White House.

Figure out something new.  But for the love of everything holy in the universe, stop whining about it and try to look outside your own little box.

K?