The Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd is thought to be one of the best basketball layers currently active in the NBA. Before joining the Mavericks, Kidd led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA finals in 2002 and 2003.

His career in the NBA actually began with the Mavericks; he went on to play for Phoenix for a time, until being traded to the Nets before finally coming back home to the Mavericks in 2008, when he scored the 100th triple-double in his career in the final regular game of the season.

The eldest of six children growing up in San Francisco, Kidd spent a lot of his youth playing on the public courts of nearby Oakland, often playing with NBA All-Star Gary Payton. To this day the two speak fondly of their time coming up on the public courts of the Bay area.

While in high school, Kidd was ranked the top high school player in the country, earning the Naismith Award. He stayed close to his native San Francisco, attending college at UC-Berkeley. He was a finalist for the Wooden Award as well as another Naismith while in college and in 1994, entered the NBA draft. When he left his college team, his #5 jersey was retired.

Kidd’s achievements are impressive: he was a member of the All-NBA First team from 1999 to 2002 and in 2004, is a one time NBA All-Star and won 2003′s NBA Skills Challenge Championship. As if this weren’t enough, he also was a member of the 1995 NBA All-Rookie First Team and made the All Defensive First and Second Teams from 1999 to 2007!

Along with some of the other living legends

As amazing as his basketball career has been, his personal life has been rocky at times. He was arrested and pled guilty to charges of domestic abuse in 2001. Kidd entered counseling, anger management courses and quit drinking; he later reconciled with his wife.

In 2007 he filed for divorce from his wife, claiming jealousy, paranoia and threats to report fabricated abuse charges. His wife counter filed on the grounds of abuse. They have since divorced, but have three children together.

A year later, it was reported that Jason Kidd was expecting another child with girlfriend and model Hope Dworaczyk.

His personal life entirely aside, Kidd is one of the greatest players ever to walk the court. He is one of only two NBA players to score a career total of 14,000 points, 6,600 rebounds and 9,000 assists. Along with Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain, he is one of only three players in the history of the NBA to average triple-doubles for multiple games in playoff series. He is also an all time double triple leader, right behind Magic Johnson’s 138 and Oscar Robertson’s 181, as well as having been named the USA Basketball 2007 Male Athlete of the Year.

Jason Kidd is nothing if not an accomplished player, having set records and made great achievements in the NBA and as an Olympian. He is also a humanitarian, sponsoring youth programs in the greater Dallas- Ft. Worth area.

Denise I Smithson

Author Bio

Nothing But Sports is a website dedicated to everything about sports providing millions of internet sports enthusiasts with great information and resources about sports. Visit us today at http://nothingbutsports.info.

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Jason Kidd is a point guard for the NBA basketball team, Dallas Mavericks and is considered to be one of the best players of his generation. He led the New Jersey Nets to consecutive NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

He started his NBA Career with the Dallas Mavericks, went to play for Phoenix, and was traded to New Jersey before returning back to Dallas in February, 2008. In April, 2008, he achieved his 100th career triple-double in the final regular season game.

The oldest of six children, Kidd played on public courts in Oakland while a youth, often with Gary Payton (an NBA All-Star). The two remain close to this day and often speak fondly of playing on these courts.

During high school, Jason received the Naismith Award for the nation’s top high school player, and ended up going to college at University of California in Berkley. Jason Kidd was named a finalist for the Naismith and Wooden Awards as college basketball’s top player and decided to enter the NBA draft in 1994. Berkley retired his number 5 jersey when he left.

He has been a 9 time NBA All-Star and a member of the All-NBA First team in 1999 through 2002 and again in 2004. Additionally, he has been on the 1995 NBA All-Rookie First Team, won the 2003 NBA Skills Challenge Championship and made the All Defensive First and Second teams every year between 1999 and 2007.

Kidd joined forces with some of the other greats of the game on the US Men’s Basketball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where they won a gold medal and went undefeated. Kidd has an u

As amazing as his basketball career has been, his personal life has been rocky at times. He was arrested and pled guilty to charges of domestic abuse in 2001. Kidd entered counseling, anger management courses and quit drinking; he later reconciled with his wife.

In 2007 he filed for divorce from his wife, claiming jealousy, paranoia and threats to report fabricated abuse charges. His wife counter filed on the grounds of abuse. They have since divorced, but have three children together.

A year later, reports emerged that Jason Kidd and model Hope Dworaczyk were expecting a child.

His personal life entirely aside, Kidd is one of the greatest players ever to walk the court. He is one of only two NBA players to score a career total of 14,000 points, 6,600 rebounds and 9,000 assists. Along with Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain, he is one of only three players in the history of the NBA to average triple-doubles for multiple games in playoff series. He is also an all time double triple leader, right behind Magic Johnson’s 138 and Oscar Robertson’s 181, as well as having been named the USA Basketball 2007 Male Athlete of the Year.

Jason Kidd is nothing if not an accomplished player, having set records and made great achievements in the NBA and as an Olympian. He is also a humanitarian, sponsoring youth programs in the greater Dallas- Ft. Worth area.

Nothing But Sports is a website dedicated to everything about sports providing millions of internet sports enthusiasts with great information and resources about sports. Visit us today at http://nothingbutsports.info.

Denise I Smithson

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My kids have so much homework and so many extracurricular activities they hardly have time to sleep. It’s a time management issue to be sure. And if your house is like mine, sleep is the commodity that always gets short-changed.

People don’t generally give sleep much thought. Up too late the night before? Have a cup of coffee or an energy drink. But those solutions don’t work for your kids. What to do? There’s only one answer: find the time for your children to get the sleep they need. With that in mind, here’s an article about sleep written just for kids. It probably wouldn’t hurt you to read it, too!

“Everyone sleeps. It’s how your body recharges itself so you’ll be ready to get up tomorrow feeling rested, healthy, and strong. Most kids between the ages of 8 and 12 need about 10 hours of sleep every night. The older you get, the less sleep you need. If you’re between 13 and 17 you’ll need about 9 hours. And, if you’re 18 or older, 8 hours should do it.

But, between after-school activities, homework, and everything else going on, it’s hard to find time to get the sleep your body needs. Try hard, though, because sleep is very important to your health. You need sleep so you can be your best at school, at sports, and in life.

Every once in a while, you may find that you can’t fall asleep. There’s usually a good reason. It could be a test at school you’re worried about, or something someone said that hurt or angered you. As you lie in bed

It’s also possible you’re too hot, too cold, too hungry, or too crowded in bed to fall asleep. Turn on a fan if you’re hot. Put socks on if you’re cold. Eat a light snack if you’re hungry. And make sure your bed isn’t jammed with so much stuff there’s no room for you. If none of that works, try this technique to fall asleep: First, start with your toes and concentrate on completely relaxing them. When your toes are relaxed, do the same for your feet. Then, one at a time, do your ankles, legs, hands, and arms. Before you know it, you’ll be sound asleep.

Here are some more tips to sleep by. They always work!

Play hard and eat right during the day. After dinner, limit foods and drinks that contain caffeine, like chocolate and sodas. Don’t watch scary TV shows or play action video games close to bedtime because they can make it hard to sleep. Organize yourself and take the pressure off the next morning by packing your lunch, laying out your clothes, collecting your homework, and getting your backpack ready. Go to bed around the same time every night; this helps your body get on a schedule. Floss, brush, and take a warm shower every night; this tells your body it’s time for bed. Tune out the noise when it’s time to fall asleep. Turn off your MP3 player, computer, and TV. Get comfortable in bed. Relax. Think about things that make you happy.”

Author and publisher, Frank Hawkins, is passionate about helping young people grow up healthy and wise. It’s no surprise, then, that he co-founded Boy’s Guide Books in 2007 to do just that. What started out as a single book Frank wrote for his son has turned into a popular and respected series of “how-to” books trusted by young men and women everywhere.

Boy’s Guide Books publishes “how-to” books for children and teens. Through our books, blog, and social network, we offer practical, straightforward, no-nonsense information and advice about health, hygiene, fitness, nutrition, and everything in-between.

Give the gift of knowledge. http://boysguidebooks.com

Visit our blog Growing Up Smart. http://boysguidebooks.blogspot.com

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r/>                                     The Encounter

Ring !!! Ring !!! Ring !!! ……Ring !!! Ring !!! Ring !!! Is all I heard throughout my otherwise quiet house when my telephone rang it had to be Shanice. It was 11:30pm on Saturday night. Me and my closest friends were going out for a night on the town. She was the only one that I didn’t call back since I hopped out of the shower. In addition to that she was the only one of my friends that was crazy enough to call my house phone in the middle of the night like it was 2′ o’clock in the P.M. instead of the middle of the night. Shanice knew like everyone else my mom didn’t play that.

     “Shanice I’ll be out in a minute.” Was the only thing I said before hanging up the phone. I knew she was right outside, I could tell by the way her slowed down when she turned the corner and shrieked right before she stopped. She was picking me up from my place to celebrate a new beginning. It had been a long time since we had all we went out just the five of us. Since all of us worked we barely had enough time to talk over the phone. Club A was going to be on and poppin’ tonight. So that was our club choice for tonight. I was about to reach for my V.I.P. club tickets when I heard the phone ring again. This heifer is a trip I said to myself. It’s a good thing that my mom didn’t wake up, cause I wouldn’t have ever heard the last of it. “Yes?” was my agitated response into t

    “Bring me some of your enchanted apple body spray, I forgot mine at home, and don’t be acting so stink Tasha,” she said jokingly. I placed the phone down and quickly went to the bathroom and snatched up the spray that she asked for. I could hear my mom start to toss and turn she would be waking up any minute now. By leaving at that time we still had a chance to get our favorite section in the club.

    The one that was the closest to the back exit so that if anything jumped off we would be close enough to make a speedy get a way without being hurt. The minute I opened up the passenger side door, Shanice tried to pull off, she must be really trying to get her drink on. Well I can’t knock her for that we all had a stressful week, now it was time to unwind.

“Damn, you almost left my leg back there on my curb.” I said to her. Shanice had forced me out of the house and I forgot to put my bikini undies on that was lying on the counter. It’s always the last thing I put on. My moms used to warn me about that all the time. Oops, I thought to myself tonight I will just be free. “Sorry but I’m low on the petro right now, and Allison keeps calling ” Shanice said.

Well, there goes the free bottle of Alize` I thought to myself. “Why didn’t you get it earlier in the day?” The line for gas is gonna be ridiculous right now on a Saturday night, and didn’t I tell you before nobody in N-Y-C calls gas petro.” I said to her for the umteenth time.

“O-k-k-kay.” She said mocking a rapper named Little Jon she hurried up since we still had to pick up Allison but she lived right across the street from Springfield High School and the gas station where she was heading for. Turning up the radio as Jahiems’ song ‘Just in case’ was playing.

I said to Shanice ” why can’t all men act like him you know, a little rugged but still not afraid to be a ‘real man’ to his girl?” Knowing whom I was silently referring to she just sighed and said “Don’t worry about it Tasha, your prince charming is out here and one day you’ll meet him when you least expect it. Pulling up at the pump Sha (her nick name) tried to front like she didn’t have the money again.

     Having known her for seven years now I was already onto her game. “I got you girl.” I told her as I pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of my hand bag. Taking the words out of my mouth before I could get them out. Sha said I’ll go walk down to get Allison who was waiting out front as usual probably looking for her newports.***

    Inside of the gas station, I couldn’t quite place the feeling but I wanted to get out of there really quickly. I wanted to have a drink and relax kick back, it felt like ages since I last did that. As I waited in line to pay for the gas, I started to grow impatient. Looking up at the clock, we had approximately seventeen minutes left to met with Joy and Maxine to give them their tickets.

     They had a ten minute ride to the club from the southern state parkway to the club, but were probably there already there since they were sisters who lived on the same block as each other in Elmont. Talking about inseparable. Luckily we still didn’t have to stop and get anybody else on the way to the club. If we got in the club after that our V.I.P. tickets would have expired. Arriving there any later we would all have to call in a favor from a friend of the manager of the club. That was the least thing anyone wanted to do was be in debt with a guy like that. He was the sleaziest guy I had ever known we had met him a while back when one of the bouncers wanted to do a strip search on all of us. We found this kind of strange, seeing as all of us had on tight clothes anyway. Leaving not too much for the imagination. We began to cause a scene in the front and that’s when Eddie the sleaze came out to see what was going on. He had tried to get all of our numbers that same night. That’s why we had to be early.

    “Hello . . . can we get this show on the road, some of us have lives.” I said to the man in front of the counter who didn’t seem to mind the comment or move any faster. As I got to the counter I handed the cashier the money and said $20 on pump 4 he frowned his face up at me. Offended I said to him “What was you expecting Tyra Banks or someone else?” “He just fixed his face and said “No but I was expecting you to say hi to me.” “Besides she’s not as pretty as you are Tasha.” Smiling and reveling a set of pearly white teeth. I smiled back at him and said

“Thanks, sorry about that I’m just in a rush.”

“Okay I’ll start over then, hi, pump four please,” he took the twenty dollar bill and said “You don’t remember me from Jamaica High School . . . I was number twelve on the basketball team you went Jackson right and was a cheerleader……” Shocked that he remembered me but I didn’t know who he was I said yeah and looked at his name tag to recover from the shock I felt. I it always hate when that happened to me. “Prince?” “How have you been?” I said “I didn’t recognize you without the basketball uniform on.” Seeing him smile at me again sent a chill down my spine. Noticing my black sheer blouse and my short black mini skirt. With matching black stilettoes. He asked “Who’s the lucky man, that your looking so good for?” Smiling back at him I flirted and said “you.” ” I’m getting off in a few minutes let me buy you a drink.” Prince stated to me with much confidence in himself.

    I looked at the clock damn only twelve minutes before 12. “Sure I said meet me at Club A over by the airport.” I said to him. He handed the twenty back to me and said “The gas is on me.” “Thanks, I hope to see you later on.” I said to him. I really did hope that Prince would come to the club. When I got back outside to the car Allison was already in the car and on her nextel talking to Joy. “She just came out and we are leaving now” she said hanging up the phone like a secret service agent. “Hey girl, why you just tell that lie, we still gotta get some gas.” I said to Allison. Looking confused Shanice started the car and sped off. “Aren’t you getting the gas?” I said to Sha. “Not anymore, while you were in there yapping, your gums off I was out here pumping the gas.” Sha said to me. “Oh” was all I said.***

    The club was just four minutes away using the back streets. Parking was not a problem since Joy took up two spaces with her Sliver 2004 Nissan Altima so that we wouldn’t have to look for a parking space, and waste anymore time. Maxine was already flirting with Vinnie the head bouncer. For a white chick with noass at all, (No ass at all) syndrome she didn’t seem to do too badly when it came to attracting black men what so ever. I guess there are some men that go for personality not everything else, maybe there is some hope. The DJ had Mobb Deep with Lil’ Kim song was playing in the background when we stepped into the club.

    After getting checked by the female bouncers, we all moved to the bathroom to check for any out of place hairs on our fresh hair styles. As we strutted back to the dance floor we all sang along with Lil’ Kim and the music. “My Brook-lown style speak for it self, like a wrestler, another notch under my belt… It’s the Q to the Bee wit da M-O-B-B, Queensbridge, Brooklyn, and we D- Double E -P what!” We all said is unison with the song as we headed to the bar.

     “Two Red Passion Alize`s’, one white Russian, two rum and cokes more coke than rum and two waters, please.” Joy said ordering for everyone including our designated drivers that had to follow up their one drink with water as a chaser to avoid a buzz. I handed the bartender his tip and he handed me our bottle of Alize`. “Damn, Al you’re good.” I said to him. Shocked that he would remember the bottle that I always ordered seeing as how it differed from what, we were drinking. Once everyone got their drinks we toasted “To life . . . you only live once so live it to the fullest.” I said.

      When the DJ switched to Reggae about an hour later and it was a wrap, all the yardies (Jamaicans) in the club started to go crazy. I almost got trampled, elbowed, and punched all in the first song. It was ‘Jamaica’ , …….. “J-A-M, Jamaica, I-C-A, Jamaica, J-AM, Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica.” The entire club said. As I looked up and one by one all four of my friends joined different men in the club and danced. “This was supposed to be my celebration” I said out loud not thinking anyone heard me. “So I take it, you don’t like music huh?” Was a familiar voice that came from behind me, I turned around only to be facing Princes’ pecks. He wore an all white linen suite with cream-colored sandals. He was about 5’9, 175lbs, light skin with jet black wavy hair and dark brown eyes making it was just the right combination with his low-cut caesar.

    “Actually I love music, I just don’t like getting hit with body parts, that’s all.” Referring to the actions that were taking place on the dance floor. “Besides it’s supposed to be a ‘coming of age party’ for me.” I told him. “Oh, I didn’t know you were here celebrating so what’s the special occasion?” He asked me. I didn’t want to tell him that my boyfriend had found out that he was gay at my expense literally totaling my Red 2000 Honda Accord when he was getting a hand job from his boyfriend. Or that this was the first time in months since the car had gotten wrecked, that I was out of the house. Or that I was missing a good repeat of HBOs’ ‘The Wire’ in order to be in the club that night. So I said the next best thing. “I had just got a job at the Gap in Queens Mall.” I told him. “Congratulations, let me refresh your drink for you”. Prince said.

“This is most definitely a cause for a celebration an employee discount of 50% off on all regular priced items.” He said to me teasingly.

“Now lets see if we can get a spot by the dance floor.” I said taking his arm and casually leading the way as he struggled to hold both drinks for us.

    After what seemed like hours of talking and flirting Prince left to refresh our drinks. I was already past my two drink maximum and on my third one. Prince came back sipping his Louis Royer X.O. When someone knocked his drink out of his hand. I could see that it was anger written all over his face since the drink cost $100 for a shot sized glass. Plus it was such a smooth cognac I know Prince was ready to drink it. It managed to spill all over my legs too. “Prince, I’ll be right back I gotta go get something to wipe that up off my legs with.” “This Louis Royer X.O. is cold.” I told him standing up and shaking. He said ” I’ll come with you.” “Okay.” I said to him taking his hand and headed towards the bathrooms. ***

    The line was around the corner for the woman’s bathroom, so I opted for the mens room. Again Prince followed me. Heading straight for one of the stalls, I reached for a new roll of tissue when Princes hand stopped mines. “I’ll get that for you he said lifting my leg and making a trail with his tongue up and down my leg leading slowly up to my ass cheeks where he met no resistance

since there was no barrier.

Slowly he spread my cheeks apart with his long, thick, juicy, wet tongue. His moist warm thick tongue licked my ass slowly and then faster slipping in and out of my ass. As I held his head as he moved more and more eagerly causing a long awaited body spasm as I climaxed almost instantly. I was dripping wet and shaking at the same time . Slurping up my juices Prince, then reached for the lid to the toilet seat and sat down on the lid. Pulling me down onto his lap as he played with my asshole. I took his soft, and full bottom lip into mine and gently sucked the rest of the cum off oh his lips. “UUMMMM,” I said aloud. After tasting my sweet juices. Allowing him to take my freshly unwrapped hair in his hand and pulled my face closer to his. As if that was even humanly possible. As I pulled his now throbbing dick out of his linen pants, I pulled him up after I got up and switched positions not letting go of his ten inches for even just a second. I had to taste him. “OOOHHHH Shiit”. He exclaimed feeling my warm tongue glide down the shaft of his warm big juicy dick. Grabbing his dick with one hand and playing with his balls with the other. At the same time still bobbing my head up and down at the same time as . I sucked his dick until I tasted his pre-cum and lapped it up as it trickled out only having a micro second to hit air, then just as quickly as it came out it was gone. ” Muah, Muah!” Is the sound my lips made as I stopped to kiss his dick, just to tease him more. I sucked his dick faster after looking up at him and seeing the look of happiness that he was expressing. My taste buds were filled within seconds. He moaned louder as I licked all of the cum up off of his dick. “I’m ready for round two now.” I said to him as I again led him by the hand this time out of the bathroom. 

   There were guys peeping in through the stall door, as I lead him out of the restroom. Saying “I wish my girl was that bold.” As we left to the restroom, we passed by Maxine, and Allison who both had their mouths wide open. They saw a real smile for the first time in a ling time. “Shhh, you only live once remember?” I told them winking at them and the rest of the women waiting to use the restroom. “Yeah girl!” Allison said cheerfully. “Make the best of it.” Maxine said. As we left the club and hopped into Princes’ Black 2005 Cherokee Jeep. ***

    That was two years ago, we’ve been dating ever since and things are going well. Some times you can look right in front of you to find what you never were able to see before.

She’s a Queens born and raised 26 year-old single mother of a 3 year-old son. She realized her passion for writing when her sons father went “away” for a year at rikers correctional faculty. Her detail, and style stands out from the rest and will be recognized off the back. I hope you enjoy her work.

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The recent XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City covered many interesting topics, including up-to-date medical treatments and the impressive increases in programs to address the AIDS calamity in Africa.  Conspicuously absent was any discussion about the psychological vicissitudes experienced by AIDS victims, and their loved ones, in the developed world. In the last twenty-five years, Americans have struggled with the disease both medically and psychologically as AIDS patients have transited from shame through acceptance and on to self-respect. Currently, we stand at a crossroads which will determine if the psychological road ahead will be healthy.

The Early Shame: During the early years of the AIDS pandemic in America, the victims had to endure the humiliation of their illness called “the gay plague.” Even the scientific community initially used the degrading nomenclature of “GRID” for gay related immunodeficiency disease. Well-known figures like Reverend Jerry Falwell said we “needed to return to moral sanity” and not to “favor homosexuals” in medical research. President Ronald Reagan refused to mention the disease for the first six years of his eight-year presidency. The late Senator Jesse Helms passed what is known as “the Helms Amendment” — a law that imposes a travel-ban on people with HIV whether they are tourists or proposed immigrants from coming into the United States. This combined battering was successful in establishing a feeling in many parts of America

Acceptance: The Third International AIDS Conference held in June, 1987 in Washington, DC was a psychological turning point for AIDS patients and their families. Over 6,000 policymakers, medical researchers and professionals from fifty countries heard then Vice-President George Bush deliver a non-judgmental opening speech. Keynote speaker and United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop’s remarks finally emphasized education and acceptance.

Because AIDS had decimated the art world including Hollywood, numerous celebrities began speaking out. Elizabeth Taylor, for example, was clear about her support for friends struggling with AIDS. At the AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, she displayed genuine emotion as she presented Surgeon General Koop with an award for his efforts to promote acceptance of AIDS patients.

By 1989 well-organized protests were erupting. In March, several thousand angry demonstrators organized by Act-Up picketed New York’s City Hall in protest of Mayor Koch’s lack of progress in providing assistance to AIDS patients. Shortly thereafter, Act-Up continued their effective protests at strategic locations, including the New York Stock Exchange and AZT manufacturer Burroughs Wellcome corporate headquarters. This particular demonstration resulted in the pharmaceutical giant’s reduction of AZT’s price by twenty percent. Other protests took place in Montreal, Canada and at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to commemorate “a day without art” due to the huge numbers of stricken artists.  The result was that the average American saw an angry yet human face on HIV/AIDS as major news networks covered marchers waving banners saying “silence = death.”

AIDS patients watched in awe as HIV positive Mary Fisher spoke at the Republican National Convention in 1992. It seemed unimaginable that the daughter of billionaire, philanthropist Max Fisher and advisor to several presidents would become a vocal and open Republican AIDS activist. Her emotional speech emphasized tolerance and rebuked some members of her party who claimed that HIV/AIDS was a “self-inflicted plague” caused by immoral behavior. A clear feeling of AIDS acceptance had been established.

Self-respect: By 1995, anger and acceptance began to turn into self-respect in the gay community. Gone were the days when actor Rock Hudson hid his illness until the very end. AIDS was no longer thought of as a “gay curse,” and the illness was rapidly spreading to the heterosexual community, mainly poor inner-city neighborhoods. Numerous well-known gay celebrities’ disclosure of their positive HIV status fueled a sense of pride. Four-time Olympic gold medalist, Greg Louganis, considered to be the greatest competitive diver of all time, admitted that he had been “diagnosed” (with HIV) prior to the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.

Concurrently, HIV researchers and infectious disease physicians who had previously been observed with considerable contempt were becoming highly respected.  The transition was complete when AIDS scientist and protease inhibitor pioneer, David Ho, was named Time Magazine’s 1996 “Man of the Year”, which added to a new sense of prideful identity in the HIV world.

The Crossroads: Toward the end of last century, the majority of Americans knew, or knew of, someone who had been stricken with AIDS, and they increasingly exhibited compassion in much the same way as they understood the tragedy of cancer. Fear and hatred began to turn into empathy and a thirst for information gradually replaced discrimination.

Even so, curious and alarming trends began to emerge in the AIDS community. One condition is known as “the Lazarus Syndrome,” named after the biblical figure who returned from the dead. The term, first coined in 1996, referred to relatively young, ill patients who are living longer than they had anticipated. One of the resulting problems is inadequate resources given that they had planned for a shortened life followed by a premature death. Many found themselves financially and emotionally challenged by aborted careers. Newly formed AIDS assistance programs scrambled to address both the financial and psychological repercussions of the changing times. The New York Times Sunday Magazine offered the first insights to the phenomenon on November 10, 1996 in an article titled “When AIDS Ends,” by Andrew Sullivan. It addressed the unprecedented experience in modern times of the end of a plague, during which victims would have contemplated their deaths and adjusted their lives accordingly only to reassess and handle their possible survival. Sixty years ago the father of Existentialism, Albert Camus, described a population’s mindset as it faces death in his book, La Peste (The Plague). Sullivan studied the psychological problems encountered when that condition is at least partially reversed.

In his book, Dry Bones Breathe, the late Eric Rofes analyses a similar condition in a chapter titled “The Protease Moment takes Hold.” He points out how, starting in the late 1990s, national marketing campaigns for new HIV medications showed very healthy, smiling faces atop buffed bodies boasting which medicine they were using. Many AIDS patients were facing a life “beyond AIDS” — a life that no longer would be solely defined by having AIDS. Rofes talks about a “new language” to deal with this condition to which we must add new behaviors. The challenge now is how to ascertain that these new behaviors are as healthy as possible.

Almost every American city has at least one non-profit AIDS assistance program which deals with the vast majority of local AIDS patients. Nowhere is the need to shape this new behavior more important than in these organizations. The programs are more-or-less well funded by a combination of federal and state grants supplemented by private donations from concerned local citizens. Their efforts allow the “clients” (a term which emphasizes self-esteem) to fight housing discrimination, attend support groups and be seen by local health professionals of many disciplines. Most programs also offer some free meals, financial subsidies and, importantly, assistance in obtaining the clients’ monthly supply of very expensive medicines. 

Some agencies encourage clients to become self-sufficient and, when energy levels allow, go back to work. This presents a serious dilemma, however. As clients re-enter the work-force, parts or all of the complex mix of local and federal assistance evaporate. When earned income rises the individual may become largely independent but not prosperous enough to afford the vitally important, hugely expensive medications.

Yet without becoming financially independent, a sense of entitlement is likely to develop. The resulting effect is often diminished self-esteem and restricted mental freedom. Equally dangerous is hiding behind a “disability” and avoiding responsibilities. Even the most mentally and physically healthy people have to force themselves to persevere in times of setbacks.  The most self-assured of us will, on occasion, doubt their convictions but then force themselves to move forward. These people end up growing and become stronger — demonstrating a trait called “resilience”. However, if one is allowed, indeed sometimes encouraged, to “give into” a bad day or piece of problematic news, one runs the risk of killing the survival instinct.

The challenge for AIDS assistance programs is to address these paradoxes on a person-by-person level. Those who can be encouraged to push themselves may well transit from “AIDS victims” to “taking responsibility” for an ailment.  It is critical for mental health counselors to not only explore their clients’ fears and psychological goblins but also to emphasize the individual’s potential in order to promote resilience.

Today’s youth has largely forgotten the devastation of AIDS because they do not face it with nearly the same frequency as did the generation that preceded them. Gay Americans in their twenties and thirties have not lost huge numbers of friends and do not make regular visits to hospitals followed by attending memorial services as the previous generation did. This fortunate condition presents challenges, however. Many youths believe that AIDS is a “manageable disease,” and, consequently, safe sex is no longer an absolute priority. The result is a renewed incidence of HIV transmission in teens as well as seniors. This tragic condition may exist because fewer churches, schools and television commercials address the risks of HIV transmission, and many community organizations no longer encourage open discussions on safe sex.

In a way, we have come full circle. The new American challenge is to enjoy the progress we have made while not losing our focus on how to remain both medically and psychologically healthy. AIDS assistance programs need to sort out their clients various abilities and to encourage them to offer those talents to the community — and to be remunerated for them. Community programs, in turn, urgently need to re-prioritize the importance of educating their constituents in HIV prevention.  If for no other reason, we owe that to the estimated five hundred thousand Americans who died horrible deaths caused by AIDS during the period when many so-called leaders humiliated them.

©2008 Richard René Silvin

Author Bio

Born in New York, from the ages of seven through eighteen, Silvin grew to adulthood within the confines of strict and homophobic Swiss boarding schools. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University (1970) and an MBA from Cornell (1972), where he also later lectured and was voted one of the most successful graduates. He spent twenty-five years as a senior executive in a New York Stock Exchange hospital company. There Silvin rose to the head of the international division of American Medical International, Inc., which owned and operated one hundred hospitals in ten countries. René lives with his beloved canine companion, T-Cell, in Atlanta, Georgia, and Palm Beach, Florida. His awards include being a Chevalier (Knight) of the Franco-Britanic Order. He has written numerous articles on hospital management and is listed in Who’s Who in the World (1988), Who’s Who in Finance and Industry, and Who’s Who in Health Care. His book, Walking the Rainbow, is available now from Whitmore Publishing Co.

For more information, please visit http://www.walkingtherainbow.com.

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