Three years ago (has it really been that long?) I studied Pick Up. One of the things many pickup gurus – and especially Neil Strauss would do is come up with exercises that pushed you out of your comfort zone.

For the last 36 hours I’ve been living one of those.

I’ve gone Kilted.

Kilted to Kick Cancer and EMSWorld Expo Las Vegas

For my EMS podcast I went to Las Vegas for a huge conference and we live podcasted our show. A fellow EMS Blogger, the Happy Medic aka Justin Schorr and a cop blogger MotorCop came up with this idea to wear kilts for the month of September to raise awareness for male specific cancers, namely prostate and testicular cancers. Thus Kilted to Kick Cancer was born.

My co-host Kelly Greyson isn’t just about raising awareness, he wanted to raise money too. He agreed to go kilted for the whole month, including the days we podcast at the conference. Then he came up with a contest with a sweet prize package.

I told him I’d go kilted the first day of the month as well. Looking at the prizes I thought maybe all month wouldn’t be that bad.

Then some things changed at the show and we didn’t have a show on the first, but we still did for middle of the last day of August. So we decided to wear kilts for the show and I ran back to the hotel and changed in to my blackwatch kilt. Then the next morning – the big kick off day – I couldn’t not wear a kilt. So I’ve been going around Las Vegas in a kilt for two days.

Interesting Experiences

Like the pickup comfort expanding exercises, most of your problems are in your head. I went back to the hotel after the conference on Wednesday and battled going out again in my kilt – just staying in so I didn’t have to. And I was alone, so no one would know. And it really wasn’t the day anyway.

Excuses. Not very manly.

Next day new excuses run in your head. Well I did it yesterday, I only said I’d do it once. Etc. But I overcame these obstacles.

Raising Awareness

Everyone looks. You can see it in their side long glances. In the heads just starting to move as you pass them. In the pointed not asking.

But a few will do it. They ask. And when they do….

“I’m wearing a kilt because September is Prostate and Testicular Cancer awareness month. Some EMS people are doing this to raise awareness of these cancers. There is a month every year where every thing on the planet turns pink to save the boobies. This is our month for the cancers that kill guys. Just as many guys die of these cancers as women die of breast cancer, but it gets a zillion times more attention and money.”

Or something like that. Varies a little every time. Sometimes I encourage guys to go get tested. If you are over 40 your should be tested – yes that test – every year (You get tested via a blood test as well.)

Donate to Kilt Ron

I’m not going to wear it everyday. Mainly because I only have one kilt. But if you want me to wear it on a specific day – except on duty or at a clinical – make a donation and I will. You can donate either to the Livestrong Foundation for Testicular Cancer, or the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Or Both.

Use the links below so I get credit in the contest.