I feel a twinge narcissistic writing about the horrible time my aging body has when it comes to dealing with heatwaves, especially the one that we're all experiencing this week here in the Boston area but I'm hoping that by doing so it will help folks to not only realize why I drop off the internet map during such times of personal distress as well as help others who have similiar experiences with our nations erratic weather patterns realize that they indeed are not alone on this particular battlefront.
As a matter of fact, what I should be writing about is the upcoming International AIDS Conference which will be taking place in Washington, D.C. from July 22nd thru the 27th, especially which issues I think my fellow activists should and/or should not focus on; but, since I can't attend it this year due to my new job, I'll just have to sit back with the rest of my fellow Hiv'ers who also won't be able to attend and watch the news updates from the sidelines. And rather than go into a mild tirade on how I feel some of my fellow Hiv/AIDS activists should be using much more effective strategies to get their points across the table, I won't for a change. Am just gonna go with the attitude that it is what it is and concentrate on getting myself through this current heatwave.
What basically happens every time we have heatwaves of 90+ temperatures and unbearable 55+ humidity levels, is that my body literally falls apart inside and I get sick. Sometimes very sick, in the physically ill sense. Trust me, this isn't just about hating hot weather and pissnin-n-moanin about it and how it makes me feel slimey and gross all over, what happens to me is very very much real. And, these manisfestations don't happen in any particular order they merely happen when they happen and as often as they like to happen. I have named such maladies using very simply laymans terms and they are as follows...
Heat Diarrhea. Yeah, I know, just writing that makes me wanna yell out "Oh Mary, let's not go THERE!!" but it's true. I can be at work, out window-shopping after work or just taking a simple stroll on the beach and all of a sudden, it feels like something is letting loose inside (and it is Blanche, it really is! Okay, sorry...) and before you know it, I'm racing to find the nearest facilities and it's not just annoying to have to go through that, but it's just downright disgusting. I mean, who the hell wants to go through something like that when it's so gawddamn hot out that people are frying their breakfast eggs on their sidewalks?
Heat Headaches. I don't know which is worse, a sinus headache or a heat headache, because even though the severity of pain is very similiar, usually a sinus headache can be taken care of with some simple over-the-counter pain medications, whereas with a heat headache you just have to wade it out and it's not fun, not just when you have to go to work but even when you come home and try to relax too.
Heat Exhaustion. That malady is not only not fun but it can be very dangerous if one doesn't take the essential precautions of staying outta the heat, immersing oneself in air conditioning and drinking lots and lots of fluids. For me it makes me way beyond lethargic with the worst part being that I feel so damn physically and mentally drained that I just wanna find an iceberg floating somewhere and curl up on top of it and go soundly to sleep cause that's what extreme heat truly does to me - knocks me out so much that I look for a place to lay down and simply crash to high heaven.
It's funny. When I was a teenager and a young man in his early twenties, I use to practically worship the sun, even with being a fair-skinned blonde, it didn't matter. We blondes always looked better with tans (and still do for those folks out there who still sun-worship) and laying out by a swimming pool or a nearby lake was quite an annual summertime religious experience for me. But, those days are gone and quite frankly, I really don't miss them. With all the medications I'm on (both Hiv and non-Hiv related) and plus the fact that I am extremely fortunate enough to be a cancer survivor, laying out anywhere in the sun, versus even going out in the sun without sunscreen protection, are both big no-no's for me. Plus with the cases of melanomas and other skin cancers constantly on the rise world-wide, it should be that way for everyone but, we all live by our own rules I guess.
I have no magical suggestions on how anyone can successfully conquer the human body's aversion to heat-n-humidity induced physical illness though I sure wish I did. All I know is what my doctors, and many-a local weather forecasters, have told me - during such times, try to stay indoors as much as possible, stay as cool as possible regardless of the method (swimming, air-conditioning, cool to lukewarm showers, freezing ones undergarments for about 20 minutes before using, etc.) drink plenty of water, whether chilled or at room temperature; and, IF you must go outdoors, make certain you put on a sunscreen containing an appropriate SPF level (I personally don't use anything lower than an SPF of 30) at least a good 20 minutes before going outside. In other words, take as good of care of yourself as you can because heat exhaustion can be a very serious life-threatening situation if one isn't too careful.
So in closing, I'd just like to say to both my readers and/or friends that when you hear of a giant nasty ole' heatwave blanketing the entire Eastern seaboard like it has been doing this week and you don't see me online much or you continously reach my voicemail on my cellphone it's most likely because I am laying down somewhere in my home attempting to recuperate from being so damn spent due to the heat, and yes, it does literally knock me out that much folks. I truly wish there were a summertime world where the temps would not go above 75 to 80 degrees every day and there was zero humidity but I just don't think that kinda world exists. For those of you out there who have the same issues I do with these gawd-awful heatwaves, please, look after yourselves and your loved ones too. Thank you for reading.
I've been debating for the last coupla weeks about whether or not to write about this subject because not only have I previously written about it in this blog, but the definition of this term is just like an opinion - everybody has one. I realize that sounds cliche but as somebody who usually receives a myriad of answers to the question "Why are you under the impression that I am popular?" it can be perplexing, even downright confusing. Perhaps a better question would be "That's great but exactly what is your definition of that term?"
Oh sure, there is that teeny tiny space that I hold in the vast realm of GLBTQ history because of whom my partner was but as proud and silently revereful as I am towards that era in my life, let's face it, to the countless members of the younger generations who aren't even the least bit familliar with who and what Harvey Milk & George Moscone were all about, I really am considered an old dinosaur in that sense, ancient history if you will. 
Regardless of the past, present and/or future, I only wanna be "popular" in 2 senses of the word. First, I wanna be respected as someone who did everything he possibly could in waging the war against (as well as educating) this terrible monster called the Hiv/AIDS epidemic. Someday after I'm gone I'm hoping that at least a few folks will say "Damn, he did the best he could to save lives and comfort others. Second, if "popularity" can be gaged on the amount of people whom truly love and care about you, as well as who your true friends really really are, then I wanna be one of the top contenders when it comes to that because everything I say and do isn't soley for my own benefit but for the benefit of others. People - but especially my fellow Hiv'ers and PWAS - need to know that there really is someone out there who genuinely cares about what happens to them and if I can't be that to others, then what the hell is there?