June is "National Month" Month

Now that June is right around the corner, it’s time to prepare for another round of causes and activities that are deserving of our attention for the month. Luckily, June is full of all kinds of “national months” to fit any interests and desires, so gear up, put on your ribbons and bracelets, and get ready for June.

June is full of important activities and causes including, but not limited to: Audio book Month, National Dairy Month, National Seafood Month, National Candy Month, National Don’t Eat Cheese After Noon Month, and National Damon Appreciation Month. I’m not making this stuff up.

So it’s important to drink milk and eat cheese, as long as it’s not after noon. It’s important to eat fish, but only if candy is for dessert. I can only be nice to my friend Damon for so long, and there’s only so many times a human can watch Good Will Hunting and the Bourne trilogy, so appreciating Damon could be tricky.

If every cause that’s given a “national month” were actually deserving of a whole month, it wouldn’t need it. People would already be aware of it. The idea of a month for a cause, activity or event is to bring a national awareness to something special every year. Creating a month for simple causes takes away from that.

What does that say to the causes that are truly deserving of a whole month? Did you know that it’s gay pride month in June, too? Probably not, because since it’s National Soul Food Month and National Iced Tea Month, people are too busy eating.

And what does it say to the monthly causes that are stuck in February? They’re not worthy enough of 30 days? Two of the most important movements in American history have been banished to the shortest month of the year – Black History Month, and Women’s History Month.

Because June is so full of “national months” already, I feel as though it’s an inviting time to start up a new one. I propose that from 2009 and on, June shall be known as National Create a National Month Month.

By participating in National Create a National Month Month, people are given an opportunity to take a cause that they truly believe in, and make it well known to everyone. Love grapes? National Eat a Grape Month is born. Care about the ocean? National Take Care of Your Oceans Month. See how fun and easy it is?

The idea of having a national month for something seems fun and acts as an interesting way to get the name out on certain causes, but all it really does is take away the true meaning of serious causes that need to be looked at more regularly.

I suggest limiting each month to one cause, and those causes should be voted on in a style similar to – as much as I hate to admit it – American Idol. Something needs to be done to stop national months from taking over, so rise up, stand strong, and say your goodbyes, because we are at war.

And pack your candy and cheese. Just don’t eat it after noon.