By Chat Junkie (Wayne)
A year ago this month I was in the second installment of the Positive Prevention Train The Trainer program not knowing where it was going to lead me. I honestly had my mind made up at the start that I probably wouldn't do anything, I didn't feel I could go out and facilitate workshops, do public speaking or even advocate for HIV and ending stigma. Within two weeks of completing the course, I had written my first blog and I was hooked. Learning about social media I found a way to believe I could do something because social media is the next big thing and I spend alot of time on the computer anyway. The message you want to get out can be send around the world in a second with one click of the mouse on my computer.
So now I am doing it all, I am now a blogger on the ACG site here and I write for another site called PositiveLite.com and I have my own domain on there called, appropriately, "Wayne's World". Believe me, it was totally their idea, I thought there might be a copyright problem. I can now go out and tell my story to put a face to HIV and hopefully end the stigma attached to it. In May I facilitated my first workshop on "Photography as a Hobby". I sit on the Board of Director's for the ACG as well. So its been one busy year for me and it has been very positive too. My self esteem is way up, I don't doubt myself as much, I go out and try things that I normally wouldn't. Last July I had to start medications because my bloodwork indicated things were happening that required me to start them, but now my health has improved considerably.
I have been joking around that I am like a "blogging pimp" because I am trying to recruit some other people to do blogging. There are people out there that need to hear our stories and to tell our stories can help us and maybe someone else. So if anyone is considering doing it, you don't have to use your real name, there are ways that are totally private and confidential. Megan and I would be willing to sit down with anyone and help you get started, just contact Megan at ACG and we can both meet with you, ummm.... Megan is pretty good at blogging too.
Next Thursday, July 14th 2011 will be the last class of Positive Prevention, the program is ending. I am really sorry to see it go, I would have volunteered to help again. I took the course, I volunteered to help for two other runs and I contributed to the Social Media class twice. Each time I was there I would learn new things, not always from the material but from the other participants. Most of all, I met some made some good friends.
The main thing I got out of Positive Prevention is that I need more than just my doctor to help me through this disease. I can go to the ACG for some help with certain things but they can't help me with everything either. I am able to do alot of the work myself and now I am "empowered" to do most of the work myself. Now I can say I'm a "low maintenance" man.
Thanks again to the ACG, to Megan and everyone that participated in this program, I am using much of what I have learned from you to help myself and hopefully someone else.
Posted on
Fri, July 8, 2011
by Megan DePutter