This men-only fad originated in Australia, but it has found its way to America, due to males who want in on this fantastic concept as well. The fingernail on one hand that men choose to paint may differ, as may the colour. Some males may even take it a step further and put a tiny design on top of the colour, but the solitary message that it signifies stays the same despite the look.
Elliot Costello, who met a small girl named Thea while travelling with a company called Hagar International, was the first guy to paint his nail and spread the notion. Elliot and the team arrived in Cambodia to explore how they might make a difference in this underserved community.
The smallest villager, though, would have the most effect on Elliot, as he recognised a situation that is far larger than Cambodia and affects kids all across the globe, particularly here in America. Elliot met tiny Thea on her level and did activities that she would find enjoyable while getting to know her. That meant painting her nails for this girly-girl. As they spoke about her life and its challenges, he painted hers and she painted one of his.
Elliot later discovered that Thea had been sexually molested. As this man and this young girl were polishing one of his nails, he assured her he’d always leave that finger painted to remember her, which also meant he’d remember her sorrow.
Elliot was energized by this lovely relationship and inspired to effect change among males for the sake of children’s protection from sexual predators. That’s when he devised the Polished Man initiative, which invites guys to become #PolishedMans by painting one fingernail every week for a week. That single nail on a five-nail hand signifies the one in every five children who will be a victim of sexual assault at some point in their lives.
According to the Polished Man website, which aims to raise awareness of sexual violence against children, being a Polished Man involves challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally. Elliot discovered that men must be the voice of change in order for this assault on innocent kids to cease, since males inflict 96 percent of this form of harm on children globally.
Finally, the objective is not to see a brilliant nail on a person and forget for a few seconds that hundreds of thousands of kids are mistreated every day and suffer the effects for a lifetime. Elliot prefers to have the fingernail start a debate about this unfortunate truth. Such a discussion would ideally result in additional ideas to stop sexual abuse and maybe even contributions to support educational programs and resources for child survivors of abuse.
The campaign gained momentum after a slow start, but it will tragically fade if more men do not join. As more males learn about it, maybe you’ll see more men around town painting their nails in a bright, eye-catching color. So, if you encounter a man wearing this look, inquire about it. If you’re a male, paint one of your nails in honor of all the children who have no say in this horrible situation. Perhaps a small boy or girl will see your nail, and it will brighten their day to realize they are not forgotten in their struggle for security and innocence.
