almost twenty years ago

[em]

I had been thinking about HIV related thoughts and was goin to post this in off topic cause it is just stupid life stuff

I had found out I was HIV + and locked myself in my apartment then got very broke real fast so I had to get a job I had taken a job in all places a restaurant and was working as a waiter. One of the waiters one night was talking about hiv and I started to listen then he looked at me and said is this entertaining to you I had said well being how I am too this is very amusing to me >

I will try not to mention the names of these people in case they read this.

this was almost twenty years ago and the other waiter had said he had met a real nice older guy who was retired military and the other night they started to get intimate and when he said we should use protection the older guy got mad and the younger guy insisted . The next morning the older guy had said why did you want to use protection I do not have anything and the younger guy said he had to bite his tongue and choked on what he felt he had to say  and blurted out that he did have something and was very much in fear for his life about disclosing even though the older guy had been after him for months to become intimate with him.  then the older guy said you are messing with me you look FINE !!

the older guy had come buy the restaurant and asked for the younger guy and when the person who seated customers had said he was not in > he looked around and went to the bar to see for himself and when I saw him I could not help it but had a nervous look to my face that he must have not known what to think about that . Probably thought I knew something then again lying has never been one of my strengths.  Stuff happens and this was before it was against the law to not disclose.

Then a few days later the younger waiter had called me to say he had a flat tire and could I help. He had said the lug nuts were rusty and he could not get them to budge. I went over to were his car was and he had said someone had sliced his tire. the Lug nuts were to rusty to be removed and he did not know what to do and he looked flustered that someone would slice his tire . When I looked at the tire I could see the lug nuts were rusty and the slice in the tire was not from a sharp implement but was a tare most likely from a curb. I had told him that this was no stab from a knife but a tare most likely from hitting a newer granite curb with a sharp edge to it that had torn the tire . He grinned like the wait of the world had been lifted from his shoulders then smiled and said ' I do do that hit curbs when parking " I had said then that is more likely what did this and showed him how the rubber was folded over and looked more pinched then cut with scrapes around the edges that were from rubbing against something .

I had put a three foot pipe on the lug wrench and loosened the lug nuts then changed the tire . the entire time he just looked so pleased at the way I showed him that no one was out to get him .   

Do not get me wrong when it comes to being paranoid I am first in line to jump to the worst conclusion but this time I had to tell what I thought and it made just one person not feel hated. If that is what being alive is about then that is the living I like to be able to live.

but anyway that was that and my co worker well last I knew was living with some guy about his age who had a large trust fund or something and is doing well 

this about living with HIV and thinking and feeling the world is out to get you and sometimes it is just your own fears backing up on you >

hope this helps someone else out there twenty years later

[Matty the Damned]

ZOMG, em!

Is it really you?

MtD
(Who has wondered what became of em)

[skeebo1969]

  Sure seems like it Matty...   EM if that is you I was just thinking of you the other day .

[Moffie65]

Wonderful story EM!

Wow, we have so much missed you here and we just couldn't figure out where you went.  Thanks so much for returning.  I have missed your ass. 

Love Ya. 
(Who is sorry there are no more roses)

[Boo Radley]

EM,

Welcome back, my friend!!   Thanks for sharing your reminiscence.

I hope you return regularly to the forums -- we've missed you!

Boo
formerly rfcnola

[Matty the Damned]

this about living with HIV and thinking and feeling the world is out to get you and sometimes it is just your own fears backing up on you >

hope this helps someone else out there twenty years later


Yup, no doubt about it. It's our EM. Your post has made getting up today worth it, doll.

MtD

[Robert]

 Oh it's EM all right.

"...and it made just one person not feel hated. If that is what being alive is about then that is the living I like to be able to live."

Nobody says it better.

Welcome home em

robert

[whizzer]

WOW,

em is back !  This really is old home week.

But I don't remember seeing em use so many capital letters before today.

WELCOME BACK

[egello]

i feel that for my next episode of life, i am goign to end up in jail somehow... what could really be worse than this but that?

[jkinatl2]

Thank you em. You remind me that sometimes it's not as bad as the scnearios our imaginations concoct. I could use that lesson a little more often.

Way too cynical

Jonathan

[aztecan]

EM, you're back!

I'm very glad to hear from you again. I had wondered what had happened to you.

The story of the waiter was inspiring and a good reminder to us all what impact we could have on others.

I'm so glad you're back.

HUGS,

Mark

[Bucko]

I saw this thread and didn't post a reply immediately because...well...I'm not sure.

I didn't want to connect the poster with the EM of the old fora if it wasn't in fact the same person.

But please let me first apologize for not welcoming our friend EM back in from the cold. I missed you my enigmatic friend.

Brent
(Who loved the odd puns EM would construct)

[BB]

Two thumbs up em. Good to hear your still around.

Bill