“If we think only of ourselves, forget about other people, then our minds occupy very small area. Inside that small area, even tiny problem appears very big. But the moment you develop a sense of concern for others, you realize that, just like ourselves, they also want happiness; they also want satisfaction. When you have … More The Wisdom of Forgiveness
Choose a myth that you can imagine circulating in your own community, imagine that you have just overheard a conversation in which someone was repeating that myth, and write out a “script” that you might use in helping to clear things up. “HIV was introduced into the human population by Africans who had sex with … More Myths Abound
Discuss the prevalence of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. With all of the publicity around AIDS in Africa, whilst the numbers are certainly shattering, it was very surprising to learn that only 2.8% (24 million people) of the total population of Africa’s 850 million people, are HIV positive [1]. Most of these live n Sub-Saharan Africa, … More Epidemiology of HIV in Africa
I’m studying at the moment, so my writings are essays, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t from the heart, and they are (to my mind at least) interesting. Essay 1: What are the most significant factors that contributed to HIV/AIDS becoming a global problem? The first people to become infected with the HIV-1(M) virus, which … More Some HIV Stuff
Sometimes when I have the most to say, I am least able to write it down. Some days are so full and challenging and it needs to be on record, but by the time I can sit down and think about articulating it, all I can conjure is wordless emotion.
Two mornings ago my telephone rang at 0630am. Alice was on the other end of the line, calling me from Darwin. Two months after she stood in my front yard shouting at me. Down the phone line I was woken by “Alan! My sister! I’m sorry my sister… for doing that thing, you know, shouting … More A third stab of pathos
I have been adding new posts to this blog, but putting them into date order. Most recently, 2010 has some new posts (edited from another site, written in 2010).
It’s more than two years now, since this little man moved into my house as a foster placement. I had been saying no to possible placements (except the odd brief overnight/weekend respite) for over two years, when I came home from a holiday in New York and was full of life and energy at the … More Saying Goodbye
Writing about Linda earlier, reminded me of something else worth mentioning. On her first night here, I explained some house rules, including to turn off electrical appliances (lights, air conditioning) when she wasn’t using them, because it costs money. Later in the evening, she brought up the electricity issue with me, shyly saying “you gotta … More Cross Cultural Misperceptions
A couple of weeks ago, 20yo Mary rang from her remote community. I have known her since she was 11yo and I looked after her now-18yo brother, Maxwell, for a year during a very tumultuous time in their (and consequently my) life. They and their family consider me a mother. Which makes me – a … More Second Stab of Pathos
alicespringstomind 