World AIDS Day

I'm lucky. I'm healthy and I haven't seen too many people succumb to the virus.

But I remember Dickey.

I remember Jimmy.

I remember Kent.

I remember Tom.

I remember David ... who came down with lymphoma just a few short years ago and we thought, "Gee, nobody gets lymphoma anymore." One of the sweetest, funniest men you'd ever have had the pleasure of knowing and now he's gone. Like so many others.

There's no reason for this to go on. There were 3.2 million new infections reported this year. That doesn't count the ones that weren't reported.

Put a damn condom on. Don't wait for the other person to disclose. Stay healthy. If you haven't been tested lately, go do it. Yeah, it's scary. But it's scarier to be walking around with something that is increasinly treatable and not doing anything about it. You owe that to yourself.

In the meantime, do what you can to help those who may be less fortunate than yourselves. I like God's Love We Deliver and Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS. I'm sure there are plenty of local organizations in your neighborhood. They can use money, they can use your time.

One of the most rewarding things I've ever done was to run the 26.2 miles in D.C. as part of the AIDS Marathon training program. Raise money for a good cause and get into great shape.

You might not think that HIV/AIDS affects you. But I bet if it doesn't affect you directly, it affects someone close to you. Even if you don't know it.

Someday we may not have to think about it. Someday isn't here yet.

Be well, y'all.