HIV+ 18 years in Arkansas, I'm a somewhat "retired" reporter and activist for gay and AIDS advocacy issues. After having a light stroke and grand mal seizures last year, my brain is unfocused and often fuzzy but my life is very comfortable and I'm a happy camper. I'm trying to blog everyday as therapy for my left hand and my fuzzy brain. I have a partner, Michael, that I love very much. What didn't kill us made us stronger. I think we both survive in large part due to humor. Unlike many gay people I've met, I'm a major Willie Nelson fan. I've been to over 30 concerts, a couple of Farm Aids, and a 4th of July picnic. I connect at a deep level to what Don Merideth called "music to slit your wrists by". I also enjoy the ole Rock and Roll and a wide span of other music. I was raised as a "Southern Baptist" in the south Arkansas town of Magnolia. I have the deep emotional,spiritual, and mental scars to prove it. The trauma from the internal conflict between religion and being gay did bear some eventual fruit. I became quite an advocate, reporter, and found my peace with God through eastern philosophies.