World AIDS Day...

"To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world".




Ah! December first! My day to breathe! Yes, November is over! Now to settle in for Hanukah and Christmas and the winter solstice!

Wait... December first... isn't there something going on today?

*think think think*

World AIDS Day! Duh!



All year long -I can honestly say that- I have been walking for AIDS treatment. I was walking in Tulsa in May, in St. Louis in July, in Tulsa, St. Louis and Minneapolis in October. I've been buying shirts and trinkets and making donations across the board all year long and today the whole world is going to join this quest! How exciting! How hopeful!

*Sigh*

There's still more work to do.



I woke up this morning and after a brief fight with my alarm clock, I though "hmm...December 1st... AIDS Day... and I'm hosting a walk in two weeks... two weeks... CRAP!"

I hadn't sent in final information about location and times to takethewalk.net. I hadn't started telling ANYONE about the walk. Two weeks and I've done close to nothing. I'd been so wrapped up in Thanksgiving preparations for work and family and trying to breathe and stay sane that I completely forgot that I had something planned. "I'll get to it later" I kept thinking. No, I didn't.



I set straight away to sending out the information needed.

And, so long as the fates are with me, I'll be hosting a Walk under the St. Louis Arch Dec 13th at 2pm.

But the fear of yet another tiny ineffective walk is weighing on me. I've hosted a walk before... we had six walkers, myself included. Granted it was JULY, and it was HOT, and HUMID. But I vowed then that the next one would be better.

But I haven't set this up well at all.

While I was feeling a bit like a colossal let down, a friend had a round about way of picking me up. (Thanks Michelle.) Somewhere along her own laments, I was reminded of an old quote...so old I don't have the slightest clue who said it. "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world".



I may, in fact, be on the path to yet another tiny walk, and I may yet again feel as though I've done virtually nothing for this cause, but even if there's only two walkers, we've helped some one else. We've impacted the life of someone else, we may even save. We may actually be the hope for life for someone. That's no small thing. Even if that's all that I can ever claim to have done, I've walked a mile, I've been the action of hope. I may never physically comfort a child dying of aids, or treat an ailing mother, but I've taken some action to change their fate.



To quote Taylor Hanson: "You just have to keep going. So there weren't hundreds of people. You still made a difference. You're still making a change: keep going, keep learning, keep fighting, keep walking. Then make the next mile better, and walk another."


So today's song as odd as it is...

Hope It Comes Soon - Hanson.
Well I hope it comes now, Well I hope it comes soon,
Well, I think it’s about time I stopped waiting for you.

You know, there’s no where else to pass the buck, this time.
We run every time it’s getting rough,
cause there’s no where to hide,
it’s hard just making it by,
but I’m tired of toeing the line.

Feels like a change is gonna come. Feels like a change is gonna come.
Well I hope it comes now,
Well I hope it comes soon,
Well, I think it’s about time I stopped waiting for you.
Well I hope it comes now,
Well I hope it comes soon,
Well, I think it’s about time feels like change is coming.
Well I hope it comes soon.

Step back look at where we’ve ended up this time.
Are you satisfied getting by with just enough
or are you ready to start trying?
Somehow we’ve been making it by,
but I’m tried of toeing the line.
Feels like a change is gonna come. Feels like a change is gonna come.
Well I hope it comes now,
Well I hope it comes soon,
Well, I think it’s about time I stopped waiting for you.
Well I hope it comes now,
Well I hope it comes soon,
Well, I think it’s about time.

Feels like change is coming soon.
Well I hope it comes soon.
I’m not waiting for you.
Feels like a change is gonna come.
Feels like a change is gonna come.
I hope a change is gonna come,
what you gonna do?
I hope it comes soon;
I’m not waiting for you.