This morning someone asked me what I was doing on  World AIDS Day. I didn’t respond partly because I was annoyed. “How dare you ask me such a question!” I thought to myself after a few minutes. I thought this because I do something every day with regards to AIDS. Truthfully I think about AIDS and HIV everyday because number one my best friend died from AIDS over 20 years ago – I still can’t believe it’s been that  long and I miss him everyday. I also have friends who have been living with HIV and AIDS for a number of years now. I am so blessed to still  have them in my life. They tell me that they are so very blessed that they have medications that are allowing them to live longer, eat healthy, exercise and pray everyday for a cure. I pray for them and with them with regards to a cure.

I think it’s great that we have a day that acknowledges and keeps our awareness up with regards to AIDS and HIV but it concerns me that some people only recognize it once a year on December 1. AIDS and HIV happens and lives with us everyday and I supposed that is why I responded the way I did when someone asked me what I was doing on World AIDS Day. It also scares me, I don’t like using that word since I don’t like being scared. It concerns me that people still contract HIV today when it can be prevented and there are so many ways that it can be prevented. Hospitals and medical clinics have done their jobs in keeping down the contracting of AIDS and HIV. Now it is up to us . It has always been up to us. When you know something can potentially kill you or someone that you love you do anything and everything to stop it, to not let it happen, to not let you or someone you love not suffer. You take precautions for the ones you love, you tell them what they can do to help themselves and others around them. We – the whole wide world especially with the introduction of social media – are a community now and we have to stay informed, help each other to stay in touch everyday because everyday is World AIDS DAY. We are the cure. We have been the cure since day one when we were told how this deadly disease could be prevented. And yes it is deadly just ask the people who have died from it – Oh wait you can’t!! But you can ask friends, neighbors and loved ones who know people who have died from AIDS. Ask me! You can ask people who are living with HIV and AIDS how they feel and it’s not just about popping a mouth full of pills on a daily basis (which is not fun). Ask them about the quiet stigma that they go through on a daily basis, ask them about how they feel about their future, ask them about the dreaded talk when it comes to dating ask them! Perhaps that’s what we can do on World AIDS Day – Ask what we can do everyday.

We are the cure! Keep the thought of AIDS and HIV in the forefront of our minds and our hearts for the prevention of this disease! So Michael thanks for asking me what I am doing on World AIDS day. The same thing I do everyday my friend. I work to become the cure by telling people what I know about the disease and how easily it can be prevented and I miss my best friend Jose who died over 20 years ago in this month of December. Who do you miss?

James Pearson