Article: 261461 of talk.bizarre
From: jenine@lamar.ColoState.EDU (just.jenine abarbanel)
Newsgroups: talk.bizarre
Subject: Day Without Art
Date: 1 Dec 1995 09:46:02 -0700
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Lines: 39
Message-ID: <49nbga$34fu@lamar.ColoState.EDU>
Status: O
X-Status: 

it's ironic and unfortunate that international
aids day, the Day Without Art, falls on the same 
day as our Fail To Suck day.  had we had more 
foresight, it might have done well to change the
date of FTSD.  but there it is.

when i was in highschool, i had two plans for
life, plan a and plan b.  

plan b was to get an education, degree in 
engineering, and do something fun and productive
with my life.
 
plan a was, frankly, dying in a nuclear war.  no, 
really.  i would have nightmares on a regular basis.  
i honestly believed a very likely outcome of the 
reagan years would be nuclear holocaust.  

well, i got over that and revised my life plans.
plan b hasn't changed.  but plan a has.  i now realize
i am unlikely to die in the mushroom cloud's glow.
now a new spectre looms overhead.  i find it
very probable that i will, someday, die of aids.

someday.

sure, i take the normal precautions, and get tested 
regularly.  but i can hear it out there.  waiting for
me.  an accidental pin prick.  a torn condom.  a bad 
transfusion.  the wrong lover.  

let's all take a minute today, put away the beauty 
and joy of FTSD, and think a bit.  think about all those
who have already died.  those we've known, and the 
strangers, too.  and let's think about compassion and
respect.  and love.  peace.

j.j, life fragile like glass
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