This organization has been a long time coming. My desire to work toward spreading the above message goes back to my “teen” years–long before the advent of the “commercial” Internet.

Though many, if not most, men feel the same way I do, I’m not aware of any who would go through what I have to try to get this message out. As you read what I have written here, or on other sites, please forgive me if I sometimes appear vain or arrogant–this is not my intention. Nor am I trying to impress you or “earn brownie points.” I only want to illustrate that I am totally committed to this cause.

Some women may think that I am either “coming on to them” or that I’m a stalker. Neither of these things is true–I’m in a healthy, committed relationship with a woman I’ve known for fifteen years, and I am deeply in love with her.

Who I am is a middle-aged (ugh!) guy who cares deeply about women’s health and well-being. I love women, and firmly believe that in all their forms, women are the most amazing creations, and the most beautiful works of art to ever exist. And thousands of artists, both male and female, both past and present, agree with me. Artists in every medium, from painters to songwriters to sculptors to photographers, have tried to capture the true beauty of a woman. Some have even come close, but to fully appreciate a woman, one must hold her, feel her warmth and her heartbeat, and gaze into her eyes–a woman’s beauty transcends all other forms of art.

Growing up, I was physically scrawny. I did not have a strong male influence in my life–I was raised by women, and the only male friends I had in my neighborhood were even scrawnier than I. I was not interested in competitive (team) sports, and when I “had” to play them in school (phys. ed. class), I would always be the last one picked. I mention all this to show that I am well aware of what it’s like to feel different and inadequate. I know what it’s like to be laughed at... to be made fun of... to be excluded from the groups and activities “inhabited” by the “cool” kids.

During my childhood in the 1960s and adolescence in the ‘70s, my belief was that, for the most part, plastic surgery was something that only Hollywood actresses would get. As I have gotten older, I’ve dated a number of women. I have learned that many women are insecure about their looks, and these insecurities drive them “toward the scalpel,” so to speak.

Recently, I attended the screening of a film in which very young girls (seven or eight years old) were asked about their body image. Even at that young age, the girls seemed overly self-aware of their physical appearance. I have read that in Venezuela, girls as young as fifteen years old are being encouraged to get breast implants! At fifteen, many girls’ breasts have barely started to develop! What’s going to happen when these girls develop breasts naturally?”

As an aside, one good thing I can say about that country's leader is that the news article I read reported that he, too, vehemently opposes that surgery trend.

The point I’m getting at is this: One day this past September, my girlfriend made a comment about how she wished that someone could do something about the homeless people in the area. Referring to the New Testament, I said, “There will be poor always.” The government doesn’t have enough money to solve the problem, and private donations only go so far. That same night, she asked me why I was getting involved in women’s personal decisions, and what I was hoping to accomplish. I told her that I believed that society’s obsession with both plastic surgery and its artificial image of beauty was a problem, and that I was going to do what I could to help cure that problem. I’m not going to “wish” that somebody does something–I’m “putting my money where my mouth is!”

There are many web sites that pertain to cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgeons have pictures and testimonials from women who talk about how wonderful their lives are, now that they’ve gotten their nose fixed, or whatever. Of course, these surgeons don’t want you to know about their dissatisfied clients.

Then there are the many web sites that have pictures and personal stories of the women who have been harmed by whatever procedure they had done (usually breast implants). With these women, I guess their post-surgical self-confidence really has improved, because they’re actually able to open up about their painful, and sometimes disfiguring, experiences. Of course, there are many, many more women who were emotionally unable to share their stories.

As a former smoker (I started in the mid-60s, when even doctors endorsed smoking, and quit in 2003), I understand denial, peer pressure, the desire to “feel cool,” and marketing–both positive and negative. The dangers of smoking are well known. The damage that cigarettes cause has been well documented, and well-distributed via mass media. Yet people who currently smoke, continue to smoke. And nonsmokers are still turning into smokers at an alarming rate!

Even with all the known dangers of smoking, and the thousands of people who die every year because of smoking, cigarettes remain on the market (my own mother fell asleep while smoking in bed, and died in the ensuing house fire). It is my belief that the only way to put an end to smoking is to remove people’s desire to smoke. Convince people that cigarettes are not cool (as the anti-smoking initiatives are trying to do), and they won’t start smoking. “Package” all the advantages of quitting (saving money, better health, easier breathing, whiter teeth, cleaner-smelling clothes, not burning holes in the furniture, etc.), and more people probably will quit.

What I intend to do on this website is print the stories of women who have undergone different types of cosmetic surgery, or are recovering from eating disorders or other self-esteem related illnesses. But rather than focus on surgical complications, I will try to get the women’s “emotional” reaction to the surgery or to the illness. I will also try to get the reactions of the women’s romantic partners, parents, children, and/or close friends (if possible).

For those women who are considering breast implants for reconstructive purposes, I will present, as completely and accurately as possible, all available (and verifiable) information about breast implants and other methods of breast reconstruction. I will also have stories from breast cancer survivors who have come to realize that not having breasts does not make them any less beautiful or any less of a woman–having artificial breasts of any type was not worth the additional risk to their health.

With my company, I intend to spread this message to as many women as I can possibly reach, using as many methods of communication as I can. After all, this artificial, “frequently airbrushed,” image of women has been spread by almost every method of mass communication there is.

It is for this reason that I have created this nonprofit organization. I refer to this company as “mine” because, simply, it has been my dream to get this message out to women, young and old. It is my effort, my money, and my corporate knowledge that has gone into creating Implanting Truth, Inc. Though a number of people will be joining the Board of Directors as advisors, or will offer their help as volunteers, I will choose those people very carefully to ensure that the activities of this organization "fall in line" with its mission. I have very specific ideas of what this company’s objectives are, and how it should go about reaching those goals.

Initially, I will sell T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other “branded” goods with my message on the front, and a couple web addresses on the back. I have a few potential corporate sponsors I will approach and, of course, I will accept tax-deductible donations from individuals. I will NOT sell advertising space, but I may choose (at my sole discretion) to provide links to web sites of businesses whose philosophy is in line with the stated purpose of this organization.

And unlike other charitable organizations, Implanting Truth, Inc. will not have any employees, subcontractors, or fund-raisers. Nobody involved with this organization will receive any compensation for his or her efforts–we are all volunteers (including everyone on the Board of Directors), and we are doing this purely for the sake of helping the women whose lives either have been, or potentially could be, impacted by cosmetic surgery. We all wholeheartedly believe in this message, and we will do whatever we can to help “get the word out!” This is a “labor of love” for all of us.

Implanting Truth, Incorporated’s only administrative costs are a small amount (about $350/month) to pay for accounting services and other administrative fees. Since that amount will be donated by me and other members of the Board of Directors, 100% of all other tax-deductible donations to this organization will be used for the purposes stated herein. Any corporate-related travel will be at our own expense. This is all covered in Implanting Truth’s Articles of Incorporation, as filed with the State of California and with the Internal Revenue Service.

© 2008, Implanting Truth, Incorporated