Usually I pre-plan, put out a couple of drafts and then proof once or twice before I publish a piece in this blog but tonight I just wanted to kick back, let loose, and throw some random, perhaps even silly, thoughts out there. Relaxing as a writer is sometimes harder to do than the actual writing process itself but I think that's the case only if you make it that way. Every writer out there, whether beginning, amateur or professional needs to let their hair down once-in-awhile and simply chill-out.
Should I ever ever change my mind and reveal my full identity online, I think I'm gonna do it as a spin-off of the Wonder Twins superheroes from the Justice League of America cartoon series of the 1970's. Something like blending my two identities together (actually, I dislike that phrase because I really dont have 2 seperate identities - HivSpice is merely an extension of my real self), something along the lines of...."Wonder Twin powers activate!!!...form of a giant Red Ribbon!!...form of an aging 1980's gay beauty queen!!...." and then have my 2 online identities connect and merge into one. Kinda neat, huh? I know, I know, I need to readjust the amount of Combivir I'm on!
Theme songs. Now THAT'S something that none of my fellow Hiv/AIDS activists have - a theme song. Maybe I'll be the first activist of my kind to do so. I really do think one of my most favorite songs of all-time, "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money, featuring my beloved Ronnie Spector (the original Queen of Flouncing I might add) of the 1960's girl group, the Ronettes, would be the PERFECT theme song for me because of the beat, the somewhat mysterious, sexy undertones and the flouncing that takes place throughout the original video itself! I just love it! BUT, there of course is a flip side to all of this as well - the mixed message it could send out. It'd be like saying "Take home an Hiv+ person tonight and have your way with them!" or "Take the Hiv virus home with you tonight!" That's the only drawback of using that particular song and in this day-n-age where so many activists, including myself, are trying to promote much more effective and better Hiv/AIDS prevention messages than have been available in years past, I'm just not sure it'd be a good idea. Then again, on the flip-flip side, with the song and myself representing each other it could very well send out the message "Take your knowledge of the prevention of this disease home with you tonight and every night, always ALWAYS adhere to it." I do gotta admit though, it'd be a great song to use for entering and exiting a stage or public platform, as well as a good signaling song that ole' HivSpice is in da house. Guess I'll have to give it some more thought.
My Spice Jacket. When I first started writing this blog last year one of my earlier pieces was on the jacket I'd love to have specifically designed created for myself. Why wearing that thing alone would be like a breathing, walking, non-stop Hiv/AIDS public awareness campaign unto itself. Granted, it most certainly would draw a great deal of attention but that would be an excellent thing because that's what the world needs more of - continuous public awareness of this serious disease, as well as promoting acceptance of those of us who have it because with me wearing it folks would most likely say "Hey, he looks just like the rest of us" - a point that many a Hiv'er wishes the world would equally understand. We dont look like monsters from Mars or Death eating a coupla saltines extremely early in the morning hours, we look like everyone else, we act like everyone else, hell, we are everyone else. Of course, before putting the jacket on and hitting the streets (by the way, street activism is still very effective, has been ever since the early 1980's) I'd make sure I'd arm myself with condoms and the latest information pamphlets regarding Hiv/AIDS health statistics, dispelled stereotypes & myths, support systems information, testing sites, and any and everything else pertinent to the disease itself. I know, most folks would chime in "Dont forget the pepper spray, Spice" - nah, I wont be needing that. I may not be invincible but once people get a look at my size, I dont think there will be any problems whatsoever and dont forget, I not only have taken self-defense training, but I was raised by a US Marine. May the Universe itself protect any human that approaches me with any ill-intent whatsoever.
One other note on the Spice jacket - I think I might rewrite that piece and repost it in the near future. After all, I dont have alotta expendable cash these days and who knows, maybe someone out there who's an excellent seamstress might be able to advise me on how to create an affordable, realistic article of clothing which will represent one helluva huge statement upon its inaugural presentation, as well as many, many more to come after that. Hey, dont get me wrong, sure, it'd be a blast to go those hoyty-toyty, glittering fancy affairs like the majority of my fellow Hiv/AIDS activists frequent so often (and hopefuly I will someday) but in the meantime, let me be on the streets, reaching out to the common, average folks like myself as well as those who are hard to reach; or, give me one of those big public rallies, those are the types of settings that someone like HivSpice was meant to be a part of, and an effective, productive part at that.
This was kinda fun, I should do this more often. I gotta get ready to leave work in a little bit and will autopost this right before I walk out the door. I hope everyone out there is having a fantastic night. Thanks for reading.
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