I love to promote talented people. Doesn’t matter if they are artists, or actors, or filmmakers, or writers, or musicians, or acrobatic narcoleptic jugglers…they all need a little exposure and a pat on the back, especially when they make something amazing. Seattle man Brad Crelia does that in his short but memorable and very moving piece in BUTT Magazine, the international arty/porny quarterly review famous for its distinctive pink pages and black graphics…
Sitting in the doctor’s office after class a few weeks ago, I had a sense of what was coming. I had blood drawn a week prior and got the call that my doctor needed to talk to me about the results of my blood work. A thousand cups of coffee couldn’t have gotten my blood going any more than it was that day. When I got into the room and had my doctor sitting in front of me, I thought the veins around my temples would explode. He ran down a list of other sexual transmitted diseases, and at the end of the list he looked me in the eyes. I was told that I’m HIV positive. My body shook, uncontrollably. I imagined all the blood running out of my face. He offered me time to get my thoughts together. I turned him down and asked for a smoke instead. He obliged but only if I promised to come right back. That’s what hit me the hardest: his concern. I thought about his worry that I might not come back or that I could possibly hurt myself, that the severity of this diagnosis worries someone so much that they can hardly let you leave their sight for a smoke…
Read the rest of the piece HERE. This links to the actual page of the piece and it’s relatively Safe For Work but be advised that the rest of the BUTT site is NOT Safe For Work. It’s arty porn and journalism and I heartily recommend the site, but be advised. Also, check out the comments after Brad’s article; there is some good stuff in there, too…
As for Mr Crelia, I can only offer him a pat on the back and hope that he continues the good fight…and the writing.
-Michael Strangeways
