World AIDS Day 2008
Today is World AIDS Day. Because I'm home sick, I somehow managed to forget that important fact but now that I have remembered, I must say something.
Since the epidemic began over 25 years ago, we have lost millions to this virus and continue to lose more every day. There is not even a way to put a value on what we have lost through the death of so many human beings and yet how many of us even think about it? Unless you are living with HIV or know someone who is, it is very easy to put it out of your mind and not think about it. Well that is what World AIDS Day is all about, remembering. Remembering those we've lost and those we continue to fight to save.
Personally, I can recall far too many faces that are now gone forever and I don't know if remembering them will ever not hurt me but I refuse to forget because that is what helps me do what I do even at times like this when I am so burnt out I can barely see straight on the job. The problem is, I can't fight this by myself. My actions are a drop in the bucket compared to the enormity of the problem and so I write this to remind everyone that we can do something. By "something", I don't mean great, grand gestures or large donations of money. What I mean is things like
- Educate yourself about the facts
- Get tested regularly
- Convince your loved ones to test regularly
- Confront ignorance about HIV when you hear it
- Donate even small sums of money or in kind donations to worthy charities that work with people who have HIV
See? Not too difficult. All the small things really add up.