Friends today, gone tomorrow

FRIENDS come and go, like the tides. It's sometimes a sad fact of reality and sometimes a blessing, depending on the “friend”. Not Facebook friends, real friends.

What constitutes a real friend? Facebook, and our ever advancing technologically savvy world, have definitely blurred the line.  

David Wong, Senior Editor of Cracked.com says scientists have coined a term for the test of real friends, The Naked Photo Test. The test is: imagine a naked photo of yourself. Not just any naked photo - one with you in an extremely compromising, perhaps even highly abnormal position. How many of your "friends" would you trust to look after the photo and keep it secret? According to the theory, they are your real friends.

So what constitutes a "real" friend for the rest of us?

Do you class real friends as people who impact your life?

People you actually have face to face contact with, or would stop and chat to in the street?

The people allowed to  see you without my make-up on?

The photo above is from one of my birthdays. It is typical of the type of stupid, fun, crazy stuff we all celebrated together (the girls front centre are NOT really kissing, by the way). They were my nearest and dearest circle of friends. I would have trusted them with my "naked photo", and they all saw me sans make-up multiple times. How many am I still close with? Not as many as I would like, because the tides changed and those swept out to sea found an alternate life and circle of friends elsewhere.

   

The poem Reason, Season, Lifetime has always helped me make sense of my ever changing friend list. Along with changing jobs, partners, houses, gyms, and so on, our friends rarely stay the same for any extended period of time. Or at best we lose touch, then reconnect months or years later, usually via Facebook.

Whatever your definition of "real" friend, and despite how you feel about friends coming and going, here's hoping that your friends make you feel as warm and fuzzy as the little characters in the clip below (what's not to love?).

Cop a feel, save a life?

THERE is an event taking place right now and if you are not involved you should be. The event is simple to partake in - all you need to do is feel your boobies, or those of a friend or family member (with their permission of course). Now before you run off into the street and start sexually assaulting women (or well endowed men), the event is not for fun or to cause offence. It's to check for lumps to attempt early detection of breast cancer.

For Australian women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death.  

Breast cancer is also the most prevalent form of cancer in the world with statistics showing 1 in every 4 women diagnosed with cancer have breast cancer.

The colour pink and the pink ribbon are worldwide symbols of breast cancer awareness, hence this blog being pink today, and why the event's picture has the pink ribbon on display. Not quite sure why the image for the event is Christmas themed, but at least the event is getting well deserved attention. 

Word Chic interviewed “Feel a Boob Day” founder Jade Edith Sargent to find out some background into the event.

Why did you start the event?

I started this event because my Nanna is losing her battle with breast cancer. She is my rock. After speaking to people and hearing how common it [breast cancer] is, I wanted to do something, anything even if it was only small.

[Feel a Boob Day] seemed like a good idea to get people checking and aware.

Did you expect so many people to partake in the event?

I definitely did not. I would have been happy if the event had of reached only one person as that's one more person who would have been aware and able to potentially save their life by early detection.

Will this be an annual event you will host?

After the response I have received I would definitely be keen to make this an annual event. I would like to do whatever I can to help fight breast cancer.

Is this event for women only?

I cannot stress enough how important it is for not only women but men to check themselves regularly for any changes in their breasts.

What do people do if they do find a lump or abnormality?

Don’t be scared because it's better to find it early, as we all know. If you're at all unsure on what you should be looking for please go see you GP.

Any final thoughts?

Breast cancer does not discriminate! So please don't think you are too young or too old to check. And a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this event - keep up the good work and keep checking.

There are over 200,000 people “attending” the event on Facebook right now. If you haven’t RSVP-ed yet, DO IT! If you weren't invited, it is a public event so you can invite yourself. Worst case scenario either way, you will spread awareness of the event.

Will you feel your boobies today?

Boo hoo shopaholics

THERE are mixed emotions regarding major shopping centres closing over Easter on the Sunshine Coast this year. The four major shopping centres* will be closed Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Anzac Day (Easter Monday).

There are a multitude of brilliant arguments supporting both sides of the debate. What if people want to work (what about those who don't)? Employees are paid double time to work public holidays so why wouldn't they want to work (not all staff get double time for public holidays and what about those who value time with family more than money to work)? Retailers still have bills to pay so let them open if they want to (well let them close if they want to also).

Who can't survive a mere three days without the shops being opened? Shopaholics (the same people who will cause an influx of "panic" style shopping at each shopping centre Easter Saturday). While the shopaholics whinge and moan, many locals and tourists alike just don't understand what all the fuss is about. After all, tourists don't come to the Sunshine Coast for shopping.

Comments on the Sunshine Coast Daily website and the Sunshine Coast Facebook page have highlighted the mixed opinions that abound. Perhaps the most unfounded was the question, "What will tourists do if it rains over the public holidays?" Really?

Are people that short-sighted and narrow-minded that in the rain their only forseeable leisure option is shopping (or movies)? Sunshine Coast Tourism's 50 Must Do's on the Sunshine Coast is a great place to start for the un-imaginative. Shopping up a storm still makes the list, and many of the activities wouldn't be ideal in the rain, but there are definitely things there that are worth a try for something different, rain, hail or shine. The list also highlights that (provided Mother Nature is kind) tourists come to the coast for all the natural beauty on offer (parks, beaches, rainforest).

Another argument is if the major shopping centres were open, the sales would help boost the local economy. True, but shopping at the big four* is not the only way to boost the economy. There are many retailers worth a browse/spend along, for example, King Street Buderim, Currie Street Nambour, and The Esplanade Coolum (just to name a few). And who doesn't enjoy a stroll through the streets and shops at Montville and Maleny? Or more obviously, what about all the amazing restaurants and cafes spread across the coast? Rain is a perfect excuse to sit back and gorge on delectable tasties.

Maybe we should just take a moment to remember what these holidays are for. Whether you are religious or not and whether you buy into the commercialisation of the Easter, holidays are for family. If you can't spend one (or three days) with your family without the distraction of shopping, maybe you need to explore why?

As for Anzac Day, we wouldn't be having this debate about whether to open the stores or not if it weren't for all the men who bravely fought for our freedoms. Shopping shouldn't even be on your agenda on Anzac Day. Your day should be Digger's Breakfast** then Dawn Service  then Gunfire Breakfast*** then few games of Two-Up. It would be un-Australian to do anything else.

*Sunshine Plaza, Noosa Civic, Stockland Caloundra and Kawana Shoppingworld

** Rum and milk

***Rum and black coffee

Do you think shopping centres should open all Easter and Anzac Day?