HIV vs. Reality

I’ve been pondering on the ideal of the best way to express my thoughts on this, and in fact after speaking to someone in North Jersey, a new friend who has been positive for over a year, we discussed a lot of things, both of which agreed on the ideal that people have a stigma towards HIV, and that someone needs to stand and make a difference whether that’s through photography are through public speaking, community involvement, or cinematography. I want to work with my him to do a photo shoot project to depict how society views the HIV positive community, and the way the individual feels about themselves. Seldom do we think while were sitting at a dinner table on a date with someone there's so many things in which that go through out head, one of which are they poz, do they have anything, how big are they, are they lying to me, or is this the real deal? Unfortunately, we look past the common factor that, chances are more often than not there are people in that very restaurant who prepared your food for you, or handled the glass in which your red wine sits in. In addition, the man who opened the door at concierge at the hotel; or the secretary at the doctors office. As well as flight attendant who gave you your peanuts, or helped you put your suitcase in the over head bin The clerk at the boutique one loves to go to who rings them out with their purchase, why is it that, we forget that these very people either have one, an STD, or an auto immune deficiency disease. I think it's sickening to me. A majority of HIV positive people I am around, including that of myself are fully appreciative as life, and accepting that we have to take care of ourselves, which isn't too hard to do, and we can live a great life. I don't think its a death sentence people are afraid of, I think in young people more or less its the stigma in which they see how society treats it and when someone is diagnosed they feel cramped, and aren't sure who to go to. When you think about it, when your standing in church, following the ceremony with someone, or perhaps waiting line at your local chipotle for a burrito, again more often than not someone your close with has some kind of an STD, or knows someone directly with HIV, when you don’t know, why would it make a difference right? Unfortunately, and many can argue, but from experience when I have told people of my status, I get the, can you use your own towel from home, I get the oh don’t come in the kitchen, or don’t get too close to my baby thing, and the attitude does change, unfortunately.