So I’m having recurring nightmares again. No, it’s not a crying girl, or tornadoes, or insane dentists removing my teeth with small, silver hammers. Those are my old nightmares. This week I keep having bad dreams about speaking at schools. The school visit nightmare. ::shudders:: Oh, the humanity. The setting and people are always different but two elements are common – the room in which I am speaking has impossibly bad acoustics (frequently a cafeteria) and in the middle of my presentation, the audience and I have to stand up and change locations. In the dream I am frantic and frustrated because I am running out of time and I can’t finish my presentation and the organizers are disappointed because they had heard such good things about me as a speaker and they are less than impressed. (The students are always nice.) I wake up in a cold sweat.
BH suggests my subconscious is telling me to speak at fewer schools. He has a point.
Today is World AIDS Day. If you are a sexually active person who is not in a monogamous, long-term (and by that I mean years long-term) be smart and make an appointment to get tested for HIV today. This year alone, AIDS has killed more than 3 million people. In America, right now there are almost one million people infect with HIV. Half of all the new cases of HIV infection in America happen to people under 25 years of age. I’m begging here, folks – learn about this disease and protect yourself because I do not want you to die.
Looking for a cool thing to do? Grab a couple of your closest friends and get tested together. If you’re sexually active, testing should be a regular thing for you.
I am HIV-free and have been monogamous for years, so I won’t be getting an HIV test today. However, I am going to a doctor who is checking me out for skin cancer lesions. Maybe we should just call this Body Maintenance Day. Do something nice for your body!