writing – Shachihata Xstamper

Every October, the world turns pink. Ribbons, landmarks, and even sports uniforms take on the color as people come together to honor those affected by cancer and to spread awareness about prevention and early detection. But how did October become Cancer Awareness Month — and why pink?

The movement began in 1985, when the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries (now AstraZeneca) launched the first Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Their goal was to encourage women to schedule regular mammograms and to talk more openly about a disease that was often kept private.

The now-familiar pink ribbon was introduced in 1992 by Evelyn Lauder of Estée Lauder Companies and Alexandra Penney, editor of Self magazine. They distributed pink ribbons in department stores to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.

Pink was chosen because it represents compassion, care, and hope — emotions that capture the spirit of those who fight and those who support them. What started as a small gesture quickly grew into a global symbol of unity.

Since then, October has become a month not only for breast cancer awareness but also for recognizing all cancers and the people whose lives they touch. Across the world, cities light up in pink, communities organize charity walks and fundraisers, and survivors share their stories to inspire others.

Thanks to decades of awareness and research, survival rates for breast cancer have improved dramatically. But the work isn’t done. Cancer still affects millions of people worldwide, and early detection remains one of the most powerful tools we have.

October is a time to get screened, donate, or simply wear pink to show your support. Every small act — every ribbon, every reminder — helps raise awareness and gives hope to those who need it most.

Because when we come together, awareness becomes action, and action saves lives.

Here at Shachihata, we offer a pink pocket stamp which we donate a part of the proceeds for each stamp sold to cancer research. So if you would like to learn more about our pocket stamp and want to help cancer research at the same time, please click here.

As I am sure you are now aware, the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship. What makes this achievement noteworthy, besides Giannis Antetokounmpo’s amazing performance, is that the last time the Bucks won a championship was in 1971. That’s 50 years, a half-century, 5 decades, 18,250 days. Any way you write it, it is a long time coming.

What we can learn from the Bucks feat is that if you stay committed and focused on your goal and work hard, good things will come your way. Of course, there will be setbacks, and it may take longer than you initially planned. Ask the Bucks, but yet, here they are champions once again.

Now not everyone can be THEE champion, but that isn’t always the most important thing. When I was younger, I was a motocross racer; I loved everything about it, the bikes, the sounds, the smells, the competition, the excitement, the risk involved, all of it. Well…maybe not exactly all of it. One season there was this other rider. I can’t remember his first name, but I’m pretty sure his last name was Juba, as I saw it on the back of his jersey more times than I care to remember. I could NEVER beat this guy (unless he fell off or broke down); it became a bit of an obsession for me to beat him, if just once.

I watched him ride at every opportunity. During practice, I would always try to follow him to learn his braking points, his corner entrance and exit speeds, how far he would clear a jump, the lines he would take. Anything I could glean that would benefit me, along with my own hours of practicing. As the season moved on, I took what I learned and steadily got closer and closer. When the season had finally ended, I still had not beat Juba…not even once. The following season he moved on to another race class, and we would never compete against each other again.

Now I know what you are thinking; that doesn’t seem like much of a success story. At first glance, it may not appear to be one, as my total dedication to one goal had not been realized. But, what was achieved is more important than one race win. From this experience, I became a better rider, and the following season was more successful than any prior. I also learned patience and respect. So if you do experience initial setbacks, keep going, find ways to learn from them, and try new techniques and ideas. In the end, you may not be the champion of the world, but being the best you can be is true success in itself…

So, no matter what your passion may be; a sport, business, art, music, crafts, writing…stick with it, create, grow and expand, who knows maybe one day you too will be a champion. And hopefully, it won’t take 50 years!

In the words of Samuel Beckett – “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

– Charles Arjavac, Marketing Manager

Tag: writing

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