I love your writing and your commitment to telling the story of those with HIV.
I lost several dear friends to the disease in the 80's...part of my dance, theater, choreography life...several years after I graduated. As a matter of fact will be visiting some of my college dance, theater, choreography pals next week. I have to say, back then, I didn't understand the disease well nor the extent. It wasn't really until the movie Philadelphia came out that I understood.
Oh Kimberly. My heart aches for you. I too lost friends but it wasn't until I was hired by the National Library of medicine to work on their HIV/AIDS education program and had to get into the physiology and medicine behind it that I truly understood the horror that was happening in people's bodies.
HIV was a wake up call for us as a species, I believe. We need to understand that we are all in this together and work to support one another. I feel like I am preaching to the choir here so I will stop. But I am delighted you are coming on this journey with me. It will be joyful, I promise :-)
Dear Jena, I loved this written piece. So heartfelt, human. Brought tears to my eyes. ...and your writing is beautiful, enough that I think I know a piece of your soul. A gift to us from you. Thank you
This makes me so happy, Patricia. This project is near and dear to my heart so the fact that you really could feel what was happening is wonderful. I will look forward to your thoughts as we move forward.
Wow, this is really amazing, Jenna! I've only been very peripherally touched by HIV+ friends-of-friends during the height of the epidemic in the 1980s. I was very fortunate that none of my close friends got it back then, because we lived in the less international southwestern region of France. My best friend at the time, a lovely gay man, told me a few years later that all his gay friends who went to party in Paris at the time were infected and died. 😢
Very close family members of mine are gay; your story will undoubtedly teach me a lot about living with this dreadful disease. Thank you!
I’m so glad it touched you, Lorraine. Regardless of whether someone you know lived with or died from AIDS , the presence of the virus touches us all. I believe we’ve been forever changed by and still have a lot to learn from something that forces us to confront our mortality, invites us to empathize with and do what we can to support those who face truly life altering events, and asks us to take a good hard look at our assumptions and prejudices.
I did a lot of research and interviews for this project so I would understand both the medical side and the impact the epidemic had and is still having on families and communities as well as individuals. I am still learning. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Hugs!
Jena
P.S. I. made up my name, which is why it is spelled differently, I answer to anything that gets close (including Jenaia - another story) so no worries.
I ugly-cried right with you, Jena. My life has been touched, and sometimes changed, by the lives and deaths of men (and one amazing woman) I have known and loved. I can't wait to read more, and to find out what you have in mind about our participation.
This beginning made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel. I have changed, experienced, and grown since the original journey, and I am looking forward to walking the road again.
I’m so glad you are along for the ride the second time around, Aleks. I too have grown and am hoping to capture some of that growth in this new iteration. Stay tuned!
You reach out, Jenna, your touch is firm and gentle, bringing curiosity, adventure. Thankyou. Peace, Maurice
Thank YOU, Maurice.
I don't use PayPal. Any other way to donate?
Hi Kimperly, we can use Zelle would that work?
Please email me: JenaBall@CritterKin.com and we can reconnoiter.
And thank you :-)
I subscribed using my Substack account. 😊.
Yay! Thanks so much.
I love your writing and your commitment to telling the story of those with HIV.
I lost several dear friends to the disease in the 80's...part of my dance, theater, choreography life...several years after I graduated. As a matter of fact will be visiting some of my college dance, theater, choreography pals next week. I have to say, back then, I didn't understand the disease well nor the extent. It wasn't really until the movie Philadelphia came out that I understood.
I look forward to going on this journey.
Oh Kimberly. My heart aches for you. I too lost friends but it wasn't until I was hired by the National Library of medicine to work on their HIV/AIDS education program and had to get into the physiology and medicine behind it that I truly understood the horror that was happening in people's bodies.
HIV was a wake up call for us as a species, I believe. We need to understand that we are all in this together and work to support one another. I feel like I am preaching to the choir here so I will stop. But I am delighted you are coming on this journey with me. It will be joyful, I promise :-)
The more I learn about your fascinating life, the more I admire you.
Yes, we must as a species become one united global community. But that starts in places like this and with the choir. 😊
You are so kind Kimberly. I’m very happy to have found my choir ;-)
Dear Jena, I loved this written piece. So heartfelt, human. Brought tears to my eyes. ...and your writing is beautiful, enough that I think I know a piece of your soul. A gift to us from you. Thank you
This makes me so happy, Patricia. This project is near and dear to my heart so the fact that you really could feel what was happening is wonderful. I will look forward to your thoughts as we move forward.
And apologies for misspelling your name, Jena!
Wow, this is really amazing, Jenna! I've only been very peripherally touched by HIV+ friends-of-friends during the height of the epidemic in the 1980s. I was very fortunate that none of my close friends got it back then, because we lived in the less international southwestern region of France. My best friend at the time, a lovely gay man, told me a few years later that all his gay friends who went to party in Paris at the time were infected and died. 😢
Very close family members of mine are gay; your story will undoubtedly teach me a lot about living with this dreadful disease. Thank you!
I’m so glad it touched you, Lorraine. Regardless of whether someone you know lived with or died from AIDS , the presence of the virus touches us all. I believe we’ve been forever changed by and still have a lot to learn from something that forces us to confront our mortality, invites us to empathize with and do what we can to support those who face truly life altering events, and asks us to take a good hard look at our assumptions and prejudices.
I did a lot of research and interviews for this project so I would understand both the medical side and the impact the epidemic had and is still having on families and communities as well as individuals. I am still learning. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Hugs!
Jena
P.S. I. made up my name, which is why it is spelled differently, I answer to anything that gets close (including Jenaia - another story) so no worries.
I ugly-cried right with you, Jena. My life has been touched, and sometimes changed, by the lives and deaths of men (and one amazing woman) I have known and loved. I can't wait to read more, and to find out what you have in mind about our participation.
This beginning made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel. I have changed, experienced, and grown since the original journey, and I am looking forward to walking the road again.
I’m so glad you are along for the ride the second time around, Aleks. I too have grown and am hoping to capture some of that growth in this new iteration. Stay tuned!