We were standing at ground zero.

Twenty years of AIDS. Twenty years of the unimaginable. Twenty years ago I was 10 so AIDS has always been a part of my life. I came out at the beginning of the 90's and so AIDS has always been a part of my gay life. I don't know what life is like without the multitude of issues related to AIDS in the gay community, in the overall society, and in my own personal life. AIDS has always been around for me.

Somehow I've kept HIV-negative, but I'm not sure why I've been so lucky. But then again, I know that having come out in the second decade of AIDS I was overwhelmed by safe-sex advocacy constantly and scared into practicing it continually. And being the good little boy that I am I always have.

It scares me that more and more gay men are contracting AIDS these days but I can kinda understand the desire to act like it's not a reality anymore. The younger generation is just so used to the AIDS epidemic that it's just a regular part of life nowadays. We've never known what the world was like without it. Boy, it would be really nice to know a world without this devastating disease hanging over all of our heads. I want to see that day come, and soon. I hope and pray it will.