So here’s the thing:
I don’t know anyone who has HIV, or AIDS.
At least, I don’t know anyone who knows that they do, and has told me about it. In fact, nobody I know has even shared with me that they know someone who does. As far as I know, and as far as I’ve experienced, my life is a little island that hasn’t yet been affected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. To me, HIV/AIDS is kind of like a war that’s being fought on the other side of the world; I hear about it, learn about it, consider myself educated about it, and feel some sort of sadness about it. I’m even moved to to action, or at least feel guilt over not taking action. In fact, other than spreading knowledge with self-assumed understanding, I don’t think that I have taken any action.
Maybe it’s because I’m on that island. Maybe it’s because, at the heart of me, I’m inherently selfish (and lazy). Maybe it’s because I’m scared of being taken off that island. Whatever the reason is (or reasons are), they’re not enough anymore. It’s time to do something.
So... I’m going to walk. For life. I’m going to take part in the HIV Edmonton AIDS Walk for Life. Walking isn’t that hard, I know. I have feet and legs and they work quite well, and they’ll certainly take me over the required 5km. And I’m not alone, I’m doing it with people, with friends from my church. I think that the hard part, the scary part, is writing this, and asking other people to take some action with me.
More specifically, asking other people to give money is hard.
But that’s what I’m doing. I’m asking you to give money.
Not to me, but to HIV Edmonton, because they’re the ones that really take action. They do great things like educate people (knowledge is power), and support those living with HIV, and those being affected by HIV, and those at risk of HIV. This last one is important: someone in Canada is infected every 2 hours, and it’s estimated that 2000 people in the Edmonton area are afflicted with HIV and AIDS. That’s a lot of people that are living with something that’s misunderstood and chronic and scary. And HIV Edmonton is making it more understood and less scary, and that effort is worth my support, and (I hope) yours.
So I guess how this works is that I walk (and give some money), and you give some money (and walk if you want to), and those that needs support can get it, and those that have ignorance can lose it.
I guess don’t think of it as supporting me; think of it as supporting them. That’s how I’m thinking of it, and to be honest, it makes it a whole lot easier to ask for your money...
(Take a little action here: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=2309726)
(Get a little HIV Edmonton education here: http://www.hivedmonton.com)
(Get a little more AIDS Walk for Life education here: http://www.aidswalkforlife.ca)
