i gave my letter of resignation and notice to my current full time position yesterday. it was certainly bittersweet, but it went smoothly. i have learned so much much working with "it takes a village" and i will never be able to get them out of my heart. there has been an opportunity to grow in ways i never would have been able to experience anywhere else. and we did have discussions about collaboration in the future.
my last day is on the 15th and i hope to have some closure with a support group that i co-facilitate on that day. and then i suppose all hell really breaks loose. i will be moving over to "mile high meth project" at the council in a full time capacity beginning the 18th of August. i am excited, and more than a bit nervous at the same time. this is a birthday gift for myself that i have been working towards.
this new gay men's treatment program in denver is already underway. we have been in operation for about 4 months now. we were minimally funded and so we have really only scratched the surface with clinic hours, marketing, etc. there are currently 14 men enrolled in the program, although they are on different levels and paces in their quest to get clean. we have been working with mostly hiv negative men as the funding is based on prevention dollars. it's exciting because there is an opportunity for no cost treatment for gay men with meth addictions (and other addictions soon to follow). however, we just became ryan white funded as well and so we will be serving and treating hiv plus men additionally. and we do plan on treating them as one community. there are agencies in place that treat hiv plus folks separately, but we wonder if the serosorting is really beneficial for all our comrades. those exclusive options are still available around town, but we feel that both non-sero and sero are part of our community and both therefore should be treated equally and together. if we cannot take care of each other, then who will?
in addition to standard treatment options, we will be offering acupuncture, yoga, and a meditation/mind calming group on a weekly basis. i also think we may be offering a support group which will involve dinner on a table set with linen, china, and candles. (ain't that gay!) one point of light is that there hasn't been a new ryan white treatment provider in the city for quite some time.
i think the thing that is most evident to me, and definitely the most challenging, is the high level of emotionality that exists in gay men as the crystal is depleted. their reactions to life and situations have a tendency to be extremely exaggerated and pronounced for at least the 1st six to twelve months. i need constantly to remember that there is a physiological reason for this and take it in stride. and working under this assumption helps me on a daily basis. if i can learn to remain calm, supportive, and patient during these tumultuous times for clients, perhaps i will be able to help them ride out one of the most difficult parts of breaking up with tina.
thank you, universe, for allowing me the opportunity to be of service. for today, there is no better raison d'etre.
oh- btw, can you PLEASE click on the title of this post and sign the manifesto if you haven't already!
and here is one of my very favorite songs that came out around the time of my initial attempts at recovery.
tina.................................never!!!!
i don't want these feelings to ever come again.
your love is so past tense.
2 comments:
I hate to sound trite, but I really admire that you're making a difference. Hats off to you.
thanx angry. i can't see doing anything else right now. and i'll keep doing this as long as i can hold this intention.
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