Imagine Blogs

Once upon a time, death and dying made sense, you died because you were old, you died because some lunatic ran a red light, you died because a snake bit you, you died because your heart arrested. People died in a myriad of ways and obituaries made for an interesting read...

1st August 2008
Toronto, Canada.
6.17am

Once upon a time, death and dying made sense, you died because you were old, you died because some lunatic ran a red light, you died because a snake bit you, you died because your heart arrested. People died in a myriad of ways and obituaries made for an interesting read. Those days are gone. The world has changed. Pockets of the earth have become the ground zero of human suffering. We now have AIDS.

Once upon a time I used to be all packed and ready to travel at least 72 hours before a trip. I was young and enthusiastic; I also had a lot of time in my hands. Those days are gone. The world has changed. I have things to do. I am busy – at least that’s what I tell myself.

I am off to Mexico City for the 2008 AIDS Conference. It’s been a couple of years since the 2005 AIDS Conference where I marched the streets of Toronto in solidarity with African grandmothers, global leaders, social activists, Alicia Keys and the media who were tripping over themselves trying to get a perfect shot. Not of the eighty year old grandmother looking after her 10 grand children, not of that historical moment, but of Alicia Keys because lets face it she does photograph well.

I was not a pop star nor was I a grandmother (and heaven knows I don’t photograph well). I did not for second think I am a global leader and I was not entirely sure if I was a social activist and it seemed a tad pretentious of me to tag myself as one. But we all – regardless of who we were seemed so eager, so in charge and in agreement - a change had to happen. We smiled. We had faith in ourselves and in humanity. So we looked forward, marched forth and hoped for the best.

I have since learnt, hope, is not a plan.

Dorothy