blog@cliffdweller

I'm one of those people who had a good time in High School. I know you didn't, at least it seems like everyone I know had a rough time of it going through those years. Not me. I enjoyed it.

I liked college too. At least I liked the part I showed up for. I liked grade school too. I have many fond memories of the people in my various schools. In fact, the only sad memory I have was the first time I switched schools in mid-year. I remember hating the new school, altho I don't remember why now. All of my memories of that school are good, except for the one where I remember the actual feeling of hating it.

There was a lot of pressure in school. But no one had any more or less than I did. It was just what people do in this country. I was always looking for ways to top the system. I found several good ones. And even though I managed to get into trouble occasionally, even those have turned into fond memories. Nothing ventured, and all that.

Real life outside of school seems like the same kind of thing, only the players and rules are all different. I know people who live from one crisis to the next. If it's not bad right now, it will be in a few weeks. And don't even get them started on the past 6 months. Any past six months.

Life is what you make of it. Make it rich and rewarding, and it will be rich and rewarding. Share your love with everyone around you and they will share it back. But guess what, if it's a crisis you ask for, then it's a crisis you'll get.

I know it's tough sometimes, but all in all, it's much better to remember the constructive times than the not constructive times. Lemons and lemonade aside, it really is up to each of us to decide how we are going to react to any given instance. When I was going through chemo treatments, everyone was amazed that I was not completely devastated. I on the other hand am still completely amazed that everyone seemed to expect me to shut down just because I had cancer.

When it's time to do something you don't want to do, maybe it's really time to consider why you are doing it. When it's time to let go of the past, maybe it's time to figure out what to do next. When it comes time to mourn someone's passing, then maybe it's time to volunteer in their memory.

Today is World AIDS Day (WAD for short, which I always thought was an unfortunate acronym). Since High School in the early 80's I've had 7 friends die of the disease. I've had partners (both personal and business) who are still living with AIDS. I've had teachers who've since died of the disease and I've known other people who were deeply affected by deaths of their S/Os and relations. Let's remember these people but let's keep moving forward.

We can't be slowed down from the great strides we've made for the past 20 years in acceptance and understanding. Let us rejoice in those people's lives, and never forget how they died. And let's also keep doing their work.