Just
thought I would reach out and say
thanx!!!! I am a seasoned professional
in the field working rural NY case
management, finding your site lifted
my spirits and my energy levels.
Often I feel like a lone warrior
out hear in Central Rural NYS, it's
inspiring to find your site. Thanx
so much for sharing--
Nothin
but love for my son Scott Hart!
August-2006
"A
pessimist sees the difficulty in every
opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity
in every difficulty."
-
Sir Winston Churchill
Scott
devouring copious amounts of food at
Dinah's
Scott,
Erin and I have all lost a parent at a very
early age in our lives. As my 'chosen son,'
Scott Hart has wedged himself well into my heart
in a relatively short time. When Scott asked
me to be his 'chosen father,' I had no
idea how the course of events would unfold.
All I knew is this is one of the most remarkable
young men I had ever met and I
wanted
him to be a part of my life, always. Scott has
touched and inspired me in ways that are too
difficult to describe, but I will try. As someone
who has lived his entire life with Diabetes,
I'm in awe of his survival and how he seems
to take life in stride, including his own daily
struggles with diabetes. I know first hand the
difficulties of injecting yourself daily to
stay alive. No matter how 'used to it' you get,
it is a constant reminder of the illness that
tugs and wears at you. Scott has not let his
disease slow him down one bit. Instead, he has
grown into a compassionate, caring, funny and
brilliant young man. Did I say funny? Scott
has an uncanny way of making those around him
laugh and smile. Speaking of brilliant, Scott
is one of the most intelligent persons I've
ever met as well. His knowledge is as vast as
his personality. Be it sports, movies or current
affairs, Scott is all over it. Beyond the surface
of this handsome cat, is a soul that is tender,
caring and real. He has embraced me, my disease
and my mission with reckless abandon. Without
a doubt, Scott in his young years, has a profound
grasp on what truly matters in life. I was introduced
to Scott through my longtime friend
Erin Kandel. Their story of love
and friendship has unfolded before my own eyes.
I'm elated to say that Scott and Erin are engaged
to be married next year! There couldn't be a
prouder Poppa on the planet! Thank you Scott
from the bottom of my heart for your love, respect
and survival!
I've
known Da Pirate for only a few years now, and
I'm blessed to get to spend time with him at
least once a year (see
his LA adventure page on the site).
HIV/AIDS didn't impact my life until much later
than most city-dwellers. I grew up in
rural Pennsylvania - I'd be surprised if anyone
is talking about HIV/AIDS even today in my hometown.
I was always interested in learning more about
the disease - I made sure to watch And the Band
Played On and the Ryan White Story and pretty
much any other HIV/AIDS movie on TV, but it
still didn't really impact my life - if anything,
watching these programs gave me a slanted vantage-point.
HIV/AIDS is so much bigger and impactful than
any movie or book can summarize. It affects
everyone, in one way or another in his/her life,
and each year that goes by, each generation
that starts up will see an exponential gain
in personal impact for the disease. Before
I met
Bob,
about 2 years after I moved to Los Angeles,
one of my best friends tested positive for HIV
antibodies. That was the initial impact
for me. I couldn't really understand what
he was going through. And that's part
of what is really interesting about the virus.
More so than any other disease, the people who
are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS have to hide the
fact that they're positive from friends, family,
employers - it's like the mark of death or something
in American society. I've seen the reactions
of your average American when a close friend
has admitted to being positive - there's this
instant uncomfortability and fear that is apparent
in these people's eyes (as if they are worried
and backtracking in their own heads - did I
shake hands with him? - what has
he touched since he came in? - should
I now get tested because he was in my apartment?)
After seeing my close friend go through this,
I decided to let another friend surviving the
virus move in with me. That's right, I
had an HIV positive roommate. Friends
and relatives of mine were surprised.
I knew that it was of no concern, it's actually
a pretty hard virus to acquire. Aside
from very strange situations, it's practically
impossible to acquire from a roommate with whom
you aren't having unprotected sex nor sharing
needles. Being engaged currently to an
HIV/AIDS public health official has only served
to expand my knowledge and further open my eyes
to this epidemic. There's a general sense
in this country that HIV/AIDS is no longer a
problem. The strange thing is, the # of
positive diagnoses has not gone down.
There are just as many people getting it each
year. The simple fact that the medication
prolongs life and makes having the disease look
easier to the general public has sadly only
served to get us off track with prevention efforts.
Very few people care any more. And it's
spreading out at an alarming rate to other sectors
of the population. Women, especially African-American
women, are one of the largest new groups of
HIV/AIDS cases. But sadly, being engaged
to an HIV/AIDS public health official has also
made me very angry because I have to hear how
much bureaucratic bullshit gets in the way of
helping people / saving lives. So many
people that she works with have lost sight of
what's truly important. It's not the wording
of a document, or the comma being in the wrong
place - it's about saving lives and helping
those who are surviving this virus. Politics
tend to take the power out of causes.
I'm not trying to call HIV/AIDS a cause - don't
get me wrong - it's just that there's so much
red tape and useless political rules and no
one involved on either side (the funder or the
fundee) is really worrying about preventing
others from contracting the virus or on the
quality of care offered to those living with
the virus. I care for Bob and his work
so much. He is an amazing man and I am
humbled by getting space on Da Pirate's page.
Love to all - Scott Hart
Twenty
years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things you didn't do than by the ones
you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds
in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain
We've gone absolutely
bonkers in Hollywood-August, 2006
With
Jake Glaser
and Scott-Santa Monica, CA-February,
2006
Representin' on
Hollywood Boulevard-2006
Scott and Da Pirate
with our good friend Rad-2005
The big men representin'
at Muscle Beach
Too tough for school...
Supermodels for
a day at Venice Beach, California-2006
wanted
him to be a part of my life, always. Scott has
touched and inspired me in ways that are too
difficult to describe, but I will try. As someone
who has lived his entire life with Diabetes,
I'm in awe of his survival and how he seems
to take life in stride, including his own daily
struggles with diabetes. I know first hand the
difficulties of injecting yourself daily to
stay alive. No matter how 'used to it' you get,
it is a constant reminder of the illness that
tugs and wears at you. Scott has not let his
disease slow him down one bit. Instead, he has
grown into a compassionate, caring, funny and
brilliant young man. Did I say funny? Scott
has an uncanny way of making those around him
laugh and smile. Speaking of brilliant, Scott
is one of the most intelligent persons I've
ever met as well. His knowledge is as vast as
his personality. Be it sports, movies or current
affairs, Scott is all over it. Beyond the surface
of this handsome cat, is a soul that is tender,
caring and real. He has embraced me, my disease
and my mission with reckless abandon. Without
a doubt, Scott in his young years, has a profound
grasp on what truly matters in life. I was introduced
to Scott through my longtime friend
Bob,
about 2 years after I moved to Los Angeles,
one of my best friends tested positive for HIV
antibodies. That was the initial impact
for me. I couldn't really understand what
he was going through. And that's part
of what is really interesting about the virus.
More so than any other disease, the people who
are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS have to hide the
fact that they're positive from friends, family,
employers - it's like the mark of death or something
in American society. I've seen the reactions
of your average American when a close friend
has admitted to being positive - there's this
instant uncomfortability and fear that is apparent
in these people's eyes (as if they are worried
and backtracking in their own heads - did I
shake hands with him? - what has
he touched since he came in? - should
I now get tested because he was in my apartment?)
After seeing my close friend go through this,
I decided to let another friend surviving the
virus move in with me. That's right, I
had an HIV positive roommate. Friends
and relatives of mine were surprised.
I knew that it was of no concern, it's actually
a pretty hard virus to acquire. Aside
from very strange situations, it's practically
impossible to acquire from a roommate with whom
you aren't having unprotected sex nor sharing
needles. Being engaged currently to an
HIV/AIDS public health official has only served
to expand my knowledge and further open my eyes
to this epidemic. There's a general sense
in this country that HIV/AIDS is no longer a
problem. The strange thing is, the # of
positive diagnoses has not gone down.
There are just as many people getting it each
year. The simple fact that the medication
prolongs life and makes having the disease look
easier to the general public has sadly only
served to get us off track with prevention efforts.
Very few people care any more. And it's
spreading out at an alarming rate to other sectors
of the population. Women, especially African-American
women, are one of the largest new groups of
HIV/AIDS cases. But sadly, being engaged
to an HIV/AIDS public health official has also
made me very angry because I have to hear how
much bureaucratic bullshit gets in the way of
helping people / saving lives. So many
people that she works with have lost sight of
what's truly important. It's not the wording
of a document, or the comma being in the wrong
place - it's about saving lives and helping
those who are surviving this virus. Politics
tend to take the power out of causes.
I'm not trying to call HIV/AIDS a cause - don't
get me wrong - it's just that there's so much
red tape and useless political rules and no
one involved on either side (the funder or the
fundee) is really worrying about preventing
others from contracting the virus or on the
quality of care offered to those living with
the virus. I care for Bob and his work
so much. He is an amazing man and I am
humbled by getting space on Da Pirate's page.
Love to all - Scott Hart 
