The Cartoon Profile Pic Bandwagon

Let's talk about Facebook viral bandwagons.  You know what I'm talking about.  Those posts that ask you to add a support-something sticker on your profile pic, or change your status to a color that would suggest the color of your bra, or indicate the spot where you usually leave your purse on/in but in a manner that would lead people to think it's where you want to have sex, or post your shoe size so people would think... otherwise.

I'm not nuking those.  I've actually joined some.  More for fun than to support the cause, unfortunately.  That's because sometimes the gimmick runs ahead of the objective.  Honestly, up to now, I cannot connect bra color to supporting breast cancer.  Sure, sure, bras are for breasts.  But the clasp (so to speak) to lock color and cancer together is somehow missing.   That could just be me.

Then suddenly, out of the woodwork, along comes ...'Change your profile picture to a cartoon character from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same.  There should be no human faces on Facebook until December 6.  Just an invasion of happy childhood  memories.  This is in support of the fight to stop Violence Against Children.'

Whoa!  That one clicked!
Nothing brings constant joy to children more than cartoons.  Nothing puts an adult on a heart-first plunge into childhood nostalgia than cartoons.  Nothing stomps the crap out of violence other than happiness.  Nothing washes away the pain quite like the surge of uplifting memories.  Good clasp!

And just like that,  Maleficent of Sleeping Beauty made it into my profile album.  Ok, ok, she's evil.  But she is hot, you gotta admit.  When I was a kid, I would've done anything to be able to transform into a huge, purple dragon spewing green fire to toast my enemies into fertilizer.  She was (IS!)  my hero!  All cartoon characters ARE heroes, whether you've known violence as a child or not.

Of course, this effort only scratches the surface.  But the cause is powerful, the campaign is sound, the support is personal, and it's very welcoming to see Facebook so overwhelmingly cheerful and flashback-inducing.

So like the millions in cyber world, I'm supporting this Facebook bandwagon to end Violence against Children.  For the cause.

Not just because I'm a mother.

But because I was also a child.