Adventures in Illness

So.

I remember getting tested for HIV for the first time as being an...unreal experience. SparkONE was helping one of the homies with a project near the campus - teaching teens and 20somethings about the importance of knowing their status. We talked to the girls, did a couple po-ems, and at the end, there were people on site to give tests. Our audience, even after our dope presentation, seemed a little hesitant to volunteer, so all of us that participated in presenting also volunteered to get tested.

I think up until that point I'd had a real casual disregard for the seriousness of any STD. But the very real possibility of this community building activity ending in some awkward conversations with exes laid me out for a few days. Literally. I remember when they called me to review my test results I was laying on the floor and holding my breath. I think I might have struck some very hasty agreement with the Lord along the lines of...if I'm negative, I will walk the straight and narrow for the rest of my life...

For those of you that are getting nervous - this is not one of those confessionals - I tested negative then, and I'm still negative now...but today I'm remembering how the experience of waiting for that phone call made me..zealous about people knowing their status...and how that zeal faded away over time...got back to thinking we were all invincible. But that's just not the case.

I lost my uncle awhile ago to AIDS. And today I found out that my aunt has been fighting that same fight. Has been fighting for awhile now. But all roads are pointing to any any-day-now ending, just because she didn't jump in the ring soon enough.

*sigh*

I know that there are only 4 or so people that pass by this thing with any regularity. But to the 4 of you - know your status. Encourage your friends to know theirs. I figure that finding out too late has to be much more terrifying than the process of finding out at all.

Peace Be