Here's a picture I actually stumbled across on Facebook. I've been off FB for all of 2016, and probably will be for 2017 as well, and only briefly rejoined because I needed to check the contact information for a group of American ex-pats in Lisbon. My goal was to carve off time for writing and other projects, although, of course, it also meant that I ended up devoting more time to Twitter and to the blog itself. My brief pop in to Facebook reassured me that I'm not missing a thing. It's amazing how much of FB is nothing more than advertisements and packaged videos and that users swap endlessly (sort of the social media equivalent of a STD). However, while back for my brief visit I checked to see if most of my friends were still alive, which, thankfully, they are. When I checked out the Islamic Society of Vermont (one of the groups I follow) page I came across this picture of me giving blood there during a blood drive (and which I casually nicked).
It was one of my first visits to the masjid for Friday prayer. The vast majority of mosques would not be welcoming to non-Muslims to attend the communal Friday prayers, but, well, Vermont is Vermont, and the ISVT is a wonderfully welcoming environment. The Imam mentioned that the following Friday they were going to host a blood drive, and he then invited a representative from the local Red Cross to speak. During the conversation the Imam popped in and pointed out that giving blood counted as charity; that is, charity, or more generally giving back to society, is one of the essential obligations of the faith. None of us like to give blood, and I remember smiling at the Imam's comments because, even though he was completely telling the truth, he was also very cleverly and gently putting the pressure on everyone to contribute. At that point one of the brothers raised his hand and asked if they should fast, which was a very natural response to the Imam equating the act of giving blood with an obligation. The Red Cross official was somewhat taken back, although in a good way, and replied that it would be better if folks did not fast. It was one of those when worlds collide moments, but in in the best possible way as two groups came to understand each other in pursuit of a laudable goal.
Of course, by the following Friday I had completely forgotten about the blood drive, but decided to stick around anyway to give blood. This has to be the only existing picture of me giving blood, not simply because, seriously, who has pictures of themselves giving blood, but also because I don't give blood that often. I'm much more likely to give blood now than before (as recounted below, I have a thing with needles), but I don't have the opportunity to give blood very often. If you've passed through Africa or India you're not supposed to give blood for an entire year, and it seems that I manage to pass through one or both of these areas every year so I immediately get bumped. On this particular occasion I knew I was heading off to Zanzibar in a couple weeks and that would start the clock ticking. I had to tell the Red Cross to stop calling and asking me to give blood for a year, but I'm heading off to India this March, just about the time the Zanzibar year ban is up. So that will take me through March 2018, when I might conceivably give blood - unless my friend Steve and I end up taking students back to Zanzibar in December 2017 - or Cyndi and I end up putting together a trip to Namibia that March (I think you get the point . . .).
It was one of my first visits to the masjid for Friday prayer. The vast majority of mosques would not be welcoming to non-Muslims to attend the communal Friday prayers, but, well, Vermont is Vermont, and the ISVT is a wonderfully welcoming environment. The Imam mentioned that the following Friday they were going to host a blood drive, and he then invited a representative from the local Red Cross to speak. During the conversation the Imam popped in and pointed out that giving blood counted as charity; that is, charity, or more generally giving back to society, is one of the essential obligations of the faith. None of us like to give blood, and I remember smiling at the Imam's comments because, even though he was completely telling the truth, he was also very cleverly and gently putting the pressure on everyone to contribute. At that point one of the brothers raised his hand and asked if they should fast, which was a very natural response to the Imam equating the act of giving blood with an obligation. The Red Cross official was somewhat taken back, although in a good way, and replied that it would be better if folks did not fast. It was one of those when worlds collide moments, but in in the best possible way as two groups came to understand each other in pursuit of a laudable goal.
Of course, by the following Friday I had completely forgotten about the blood drive, but decided to stick around anyway to give blood. This has to be the only existing picture of me giving blood, not simply because, seriously, who has pictures of themselves giving blood, but also because I don't give blood that often. I'm much more likely to give blood now than before (as recounted below, I have a thing with needles), but I don't have the opportunity to give blood very often. If you've passed through Africa or India you're not supposed to give blood for an entire year, and it seems that I manage to pass through one or both of these areas every year so I immediately get bumped. On this particular occasion I knew I was heading off to Zanzibar in a couple weeks and that would start the clock ticking. I had to tell the Red Cross to stop calling and asking me to give blood for a year, but I'm heading off to India this March, just about the time the Zanzibar year ban is up. So that will take me through March 2018, when I might conceivably give blood - unless my friend Steve and I end up taking students back to Zanzibar in December 2017 - or Cyndi and I end up putting together a trip to Namibia that March (I think you get the point . . .).
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| I seem oddly calm. One of my great early phobias was giving blood, and one of my reasons for forcing myself to give blood, beyond trying to be somewhat useful to society, was to force myself to conquer the fear, which I do by thinking of Marcus Aurelius maxims (which I'm only passably able to do) and my natural ability to fade away (which, as my family and friends can attest, is one of my greatest strengths/weaknesses). |
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