So I am currently sitting outside the gaming floor of the local casino, writing this blog entry on my iPhone. Earl is playing Let It Ride and is doing good thus far. He thinks I’m out of money, but I’m not. I still have more than half of what I budgeted for tonight in my pocket. I have this thing about losing money; I don’t like to do it. I am quite content just people watching and being amused by the intensity of some of the players. I make up stories in my head about people. Someday they might end up characters in a novel I write.
I have received several comments on my last entry about my HIV test. Some comments have been through e-mail and have had a common theme: the younger generation ain’t taking HIV as seriously as my generation did. I suppose it’s because HIV was fairly new when I became sexually active and I saw a quite a few of my friends die of AIDS. With the advancement of medicine it seems that younger folks just aren’t as concerned with the disease that ravaged our community back in the day. I sometimes wonder if there is misinformation or a dose of ignorance out there. I sometimes think that I could do more in helping educate folks; I suppose these two blog entries are a start.
Well enough of the heavy stuff for tonight. After all, I’m listening to bells and whistles of slot machines and hearing the occasional scream of a winner here and there. A gay couple just walked by and they were holding hands. That’s pretty remarkable for these parts. It makes me grin.
I should probably go check on the husbear. He’s one of the best card players I’ve ever seen. Maybe he’ll buy me something pretty. Heh.
The younger generation also came of age with fit healthy models in HIV drug ads and super-buff HIV+ studs at the bar showing the side benefit of testosterone to prevent wasting.
While I think the ad images are positive for the HIV positive, I think they help conceal some of the realities of HIV. Not everyone exhibits the worst (that, I think, is a crap shoot), but I can tell you it isn’t much fun sleeping next to someone who can help shitting the bed during the night from explosive diarrhea. And people are still dying.
can=can’t
I should also add that being the one shitting the bed is no picnic. Aside from the ill health and clean up, there’s also a high level of embarrassment.
It probably needs to be pointed out that this is not a judgment on guys who are poz. I acknowledge that some are lucky enough to take a single pill a day and have no signs of the disease or side effects. I know many and I’m grateful for their tolerance. My point is that some of those hunky models in the ads or in the bar might have a completely different reality when they go home at night and, when seen, might make some more cautious. This isn’t a 5 day swine flu, it’s the rest of your life.