My Journey with AIDS

Another change to “Mr. G’s eye exam”

Mr. G’s eye exam has been changed yet again so that the antagonist, though dead for more than a decade, might only be identified by his last initial and the responsibilities he held – not by full name nor school. I’m doing this following...

Published Sun, May 04 2014 8:01 AM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: family, youth, autobiography, childhood trauma

April 30 revisited

Today marks eleven years since the beginning of events which form the basis of my autobiographical piece entitled Chopin, Roman Polanski and a cab. I will attempt to stay home after dark. Read More...

Published Tue, Apr 29 2014 9:38 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: autobiography, health-care, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), trauma, SARS, accident

Meet Sujata, Russian Blue beauty

Sujata, the name given to her by the previous human in her life, Kevin, is Sanskrit meaning “from a good family origin”; “Su” means “good”, “Jatakas” means “of good origins” or “well...

Published Mon, Apr 28 2014 7:54 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: friendship, cat, "Russian Blue"

Drop-kicking HIV/AIDS stigma to the curb

“This December I found a mass the size of a cantaloupe in my lung…I used social media to express my feelings without having to burden my family and friends. I’d like to write a feature…that explores the way the Internet has changed...

Published Tue, Apr 22 2014 10:55 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: Uncategorized

R.I.P. Emma

(From 04-04-2014) Following a “massive stroke” my beautiful friend of almost exactly fifteen years has left me. Emma (short for Emerald, the colour of her eyes) dropped to one side, sprawled on the floor, and let out a yell worthy of her Siamese...

Published Sun, Apr 13 2014 12:03 AM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: grief, autobiography, Uncategorized, Pets

Blog CPR

Facebook and Twitter have become my primary means of internet communication as of late but there is within me a desire to give my writer’s block the angioplasty treatment it may need. In the meantime, evidence that I have continued my love of photography...

Published Sat, Apr 12 2014 11:08 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: autobiography, photography, mental health, Tulips

Another important day for self-acceptance

If I have learned nothing else about my bipolar II today, it is that I am certainly not the only one in similar circumstances who has found photography to be a healing past-time. Facebook is teeming today with some of the creative works...

Published Sun, Mar 30 2014 3:28 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: autobiography, childhood trauma, activism, AIDS and HIV, photography, mental health, bipolar, bipolar II, stigma, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), sexual abuse, suicide, adult survivors

DARE ME – and help raise funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation

I realize it’s been many months since I have blogged. (You’re more likely to find me on Facebook or Twitter.) As my HIV has to compete with everything else that ails me, and those activities which bring me relaxed pleasure, it takes a special...

Published Sat, Mar 22 2014 7:53 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: Stephen Lewis, activism, AIDS and HIV

Bottling works and Code Mill from near Haggart Dam

Foggy weekend morning

Post #1031: My latest ‘Aha!’ moment

I’m very close to finishing the book Survivor – Auschwitz, The Death March and My Fight for Freedom by Sam Pivnik and some two-thirds of the way through I was jolted by this passage: We could have run, could have made it, could have reached...

Published Thu, Aug 22 2013 11:56 AM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: childhood trauma, mental health, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), sexual abuse, biography/autobiography, Sam Pivnik, Auschwitz concentration camp, Primo Levi, Holocaust

Review (and a personal retrospective) – Behind the Candelabra

With only the most scant help from Google I have been trying to remember more about my personal, professional meeting with Liberace (“Please, call me Lee.”) It was some time in the mid-1980s, while I was working at a St. Catharines, Ontario radio station...

Published Mon, May 27 2013 2:03 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: media, AIDS and HIV, stigma, sexual orientation, homosexuality, social conservatives, homophobia, biography/autobiography, Liberace, Behind the Candelabra

Lunch with Vito Russo

Disclaimer: My memories have been assisted by Google and a piece of paper, 8-1/2″ x 11″ divided in half, on which is written the following: After signing up for The Movie Network again recently, I came upon the film “Vito: A Man For All Seasons...

Published Sun, Apr 07 2013 2:18 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: activism, AIDS and HIV, social justice, sexual orientation, politics - USA, homophobia, biography/autobiography, Ronald Reagan, Celluloid Closet, Vito Russo, Gay-Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

Early morning, April 25, 2007

A prompt this week to write about something in a health-care context brought out this story which, despite having been told over and over in my head, had heretofore not made it down in writing. It wasn’t quite 5:30 am and Janice was already waiting for...

Published Thu, Mar 14 2013 4:55 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: family, grief, autobiography, AIDS and HIV, Perth, health-care, sexual orientation, Craig Chaplin, Montréal

Shaun Fryday, whose faith community emulates his personal hospitality, to be this year’s recipient of the Craig Chaplin Memorial Award

Rev Shaun Fryday has been selected by Montreal’s United Theological College to receive the award, established by my late brother, at the UTC Convocation on May 8th, 2013. Fittingly, the ceremonies will take place in Shaun’s congregation of Beaconsfield...

Published Sun, Feb 24 2013 12:11 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: youth, spirituality, social justice, sexual orientation, Chaplin Memorial Fund (United Theological College), Craig Chaplin, United Church of Canada, Beaconsfield United Church, LGBTQ Youth Centre

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