So there have been so many awful things happening, even 3 hours of news in the evening can’t actually cover them all. But there are also good things, and AIDS Walk Austin is one of them. The people who work at & volunteer for the agencies benefited by the Walk make the world better every day, by helping people. I can help by raising money for them. I’m writing a diary filled with warm fuzzies. And asking for donations for AIDS Walk Austin.
I do a lot of diaries about the AIDS Walk in the fall & the AIDS Ride in the spring. These diaries tend toward the sentimental, because I get very emotional about the subject. The agencies I raise money for do things that directly help people. I also use a lot of music in my diaries, so here’s a sweet song. It's not U2 (try to get over the shock), but another band, Snow Patrol. In the introductory banter, the singer says the song is about seeing the world through childlike eyes and see what you really want rather than all the stuff that doesn't matter. Also, this is a sweet, soothing song that may help with how you’re feeling in the midst of this shitstorm:
So this song talks about the important things in life - human contact, a place to live, and a chance to give back. Contributing to my AIDS Walk Austin page makes it possible for AIDS Services of Austin to provide the first things, and you get that last one - to give back.
One of the agencies that benefits from the Walk is The Care Communities, here is what they do (copied from the Walk page):
The mission of The Care Communities is to provide practical and compassionate support for people with serious illness, particularly AIDS and cancer. The support is provided by Care Teams, which consist of four to seven volunteers, who offer such assistance as light housekeeping, shopping, transportation, meal preparation, yard work. It also provides emotional support and companionship to those who are ill and who might otherwise remain isolated or alone. The vision of The Care Communities is a caring community where no one will face a serious illness alone.
you could help the Care Communities by donating at my AIDS Walk Austin page
another is the Wright House Wellness Center, here's their nice little paragraph from the Walk page, but you really should click on their link & see the amazing breadth of what they do: "The Wright House Wellness Center is a haven for people living with or at risk of contracting chronic illnesses, where the mind, body, and spirit are nurtured through prevention, education, care, and compassion in a culturally inclusive setting."
And here’s me a couple of years ago, talking about why I’ve done every AIDS Walk:
And another song — and if you hate Coldplay, click on it anyway & listen to the first 90 seconds or so, it’s the speech from Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, it will make you feel better (though how you can not like Head Full of Dreams is just beyond me):
and I have to use a U2 song, because — have you met me? (yes, it is entirely possible I’m obsessed) This is from the Apollo show, and the talking at the beginning is Bono pointing to a Pride flag & saying “be safe, be brave” (which is especially meaningful to me because a young friend of mine who is trans got their flag signed by all 4 members of the band at the Chicago show)
Please donate at my AIDS Walk page if you can.