Interesting Times: Update 2

Background: First post. Second post.

Note: I had this post drafted before April 15. I hate how topical it is.

My usual stress reaction is to compartmentalize but I’ve been bad at that lately. (I have in fact been kind of shambolic lately.) This was something productive I could actually concentrate on: what to say when people ask the open-ended “what can I do for you?” question. It seemed rude to answer with the truth, “I don’t know” – so I’ve been thinking.

Donate blood.

I can’t right now, which I hate, because it’s something I do. Every 56 days, 46 times at last count, I donate blood. But me and my cancery blood aren’t allowed back until a year after my last treatment. That’s 10 donations I’ll miss.

You could help make that up. (You can find a place here or here, and if you live near me, I go here.) I promise, it’s not that big of a deal, and nobody was a fraidier fraidycat than me at first – so if even I can, you know? If you wanted to do something important, that’s what you could do.

P.S. I have a huge problem with the FDA’s deferral of gay men, and blood banks do too. It’s stupid and should be changed. But until it is, someone needs blood every three seconds.