Gary

Last evening I met Gary.  Gary is probably in his mid to late 50s with long straight white hair and a white bushy Santa-like beard.  He was a professor at a college for a short period in his life.  Like me, he grew up on a dairy farm.  We reminisced about the hard and never-ending work that is required to operate a dairy farm as we ate our dinner of sloppy Joe's, coleslaw, and potatoes.

Since I have not been keeping up with this season of American Idol, Gary took it upon himself to inform me of the latest and greatest with this reality TV show.  He seemed quite knowledgeable of pop culture when it came to this competition.  At one point in our conversation, he lifted his arm up and looked down at his wrist.  "Do you like my bling?" he asked me.  "You wear it well." I replied.  What he was referring to was a hospital wristband.

Gary is infected with HIV.  He told me that he is alive because of the blood transfusions that he receives.  Along with the infection, he has a bone marrow disease.  Gary does not know how much longer he will be alive.

I was awake for a lot of the night thinking about what it could possibly be like to walk in Gary's shoes.  I cannot imagine.  In addition to Gary, I met other people who were living with HIV/AIDS, and I noticed that they were 'living'.  They would joke around and laugh and engage in conversations about their past, present, and future.  I ask myself, "What would my life look like if the tables were turned?"

Life is fragile.  Life is beautiful.  Each day and each breath is a gift.  I need to live my life and live it remembering that.