LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Safe |
| bySal Seeley |
| When Willie Takes a Walk!
Today is one of the most beautiful days we have had in a very long time. The sun is shining and the wind has stopped! I love it! But with this newly arriving beauty is something that arrives this time of year for most of us here at CAMP Rehoboth and for many of us. We call it PRESSURE! The pressure we are beginning to experience here at the office reminds me of the pressure we apply to ourselves to perform in so many ways. I think that gay men and women are pretty special people. Each of us has an exceptional gift or two that we often overlook. We are generally creative in one way or another, caring, perceptive, and often driven. We often excel in many things that we do. But we end up putting pressure on ourselves and those around us to perform. This isn't always bad but sometimes it can force us to make choices that we might not otherwise have made. I have this friend who is a pretty good guy. We do a lot of things together and generally have an excellent time. He calls his best friend "Willie." I hear lots of guys have names for their best friends. Anyway, Willie is always near by and is a pretty entertaining guy too. Well, to make a long story short, my friend talked about this fantasy he had and decided to make it happen. He talked about it to the point that he knew exactly what was to happen and set out to make it happen. He arrived at the appropriate place and was a little surprised to see that it wasn't exactly what he had expected but he was on a mission! And a fun one it was to be! So he walked around and stirred up some interest and talked and negotiated and finally decided it was now or never. I think he must have talked about this for months! The excitement had built up but apparently so did the PRESSURE. Poor Willie! He got ready to do his part in all of this and, got Willie all dressed and ready for his part. Then all of a sudden, something struck his partner as funny and he began to laugh! That wasn't part of the plan! Then things got even more humorous! My friend took something out of his pocket, dropped it to the floor and it brokehis partner laughed even harder. Then he began to laugh and poor Willie decided to take a walk! He couldn't take the pressure! His fantasy turned into a comedy! So talk about pressure! What do we do to ourselves? Often when we are in a social encounter of any type we feel so much pressure to be exceptional, or to just perform, that we make unwise choices. Well, in intimate places, it can be disastrous. We don't want to seem less than who we want people to think we are and we don't want to disappoint folks but remember the consequences can last for ever! Remember the pressure can make you crazy but don't let it make you do crazy things! Before you meet anybody's friend Willie, make sure he is properly dressed. If he isn't, tell him to take a walk! If you want to know more about making good choices; if you need to talk about mistakes you have made or if you need supplies to dress your Willie, come see me! I am in the bars, on the internet, I am always at CAMP and I am always happy to help you! Come see me and let go of the pressure! Sal Seeley is Program Director of CAMPsafe, an HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention program funded through a contract with the Delaware Division of Public Health. Free, anonymous HIV testing is offered at CAMP Rehoboth, 39 Baltimore Avenue. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Sal Seeley at 302-227-5620 or e-mail salvatoreseeley@aol.com. |
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LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 15, No. 3 April 8, 2005 |