A very interesting thing happened Monday Night. I was forgotten. It really perplexed me because I always thought that I was an unforgetable guy. Sound stuck up? Not meant to mean it that way. You see, I have been teaching HIV/Aids education for about 12 years. My present HIV in a way that educates and makes it easy to remember. For many years I have had students come up to me and call me the ,"Aids Guy". Then they would ask me how my children are doing, tell me good luck, shake my hand, and go on their way.
This May I taught an Honors Health class at Jackson High School. These kids were really bright and I really enjoyed the presentation. It was two presentations later that I decided to retire. The youth are getting the information they need to make informed decisions, plus to me the presentation was getting old.
Well, this class from Jackson High School really impressed me. They devoured the information and we had a great time during the question and answer period. Last night I took Andrew out open bowl. There was one of the kids form Jackson bowling next to us. One of the brightest kids I can ever remember. After Andrew and I finished bowling, I went over to the young man...re-introduced myself and I was on the end of a totally blank stare.
This kid/young adult did not remember me or that I presented or the topic I presented. I didn;t press any further. I gave a shy shrug and walked away.....I guess wounded. The impact I have made has diminished over the years due to schools having a successful HIV education program. My exit timing apparantly was right in ending this HIV program.
When I started years ago there was no HIV education. There was a lot of misnomers and "theories" out there that were totally untrue. I was set to making them right, and today, the school systems are giving the correct information. I am ver hapy for that.