Little Bill

Finished the new Palahniuk. Got what I expected. Was moderately disappointed I guessed the ending by chapter four or five. Surprised? Not one bit, but his formula’s wearing thin on me.

Starting the new Murakami. Not past chapter two. Not disappointed in the slightest. This is my second Murakami after Kafka on the Shore. Have The Wind-Up Bird Chronciles to read next.

ON DECK:
The Mistress’s Daughter, by A.M. Homes; You Suck, by Christopher Moore; or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling — all of which depends on how slowly I digest the Murakami.

- - -

words, words, words,
have you heard
a bird in hand
is much better than
any number free to wander
fly away…stay
you pay for what you get
you pay for what you get

surprise, surprise
you pay for what you get
you pay for what you get
— David J. Matthews

(Yeah I still like Dave Matthews — well, his old stuff — deal with it.)

I made a beeline for the water, moments after arriving. The sound of the waves crashing against the pebbled beach drew me into the chilled ocean. It certainly erased the notion of sunblock from my mind, much to my detriment.

First to my ankles, then to my knees. Already shivering, I knew I had to get it over with. At mid-thigh I dove in, piked down to the bottom, and listened. When you’re underwater, there’s always a distant rumble, and once in a while you’ll hear the high-pitched hum from a speedboat. Rolling onto my back I stared into the light refracting against the choppy waves into my eyes. Kicking off the bottom, I emerged from the surface gasping for air. There’s something about incredibly cold water that makes it hard to breathe.

I kicked onto my back. Floating. The surface water is always warmer in the sun. There I lied with my back arched, my toes bobbing in and out of the air, and listened to myself breathe. I could feel the heat from the sun against my body and felt more at peace than in a long, long time.

I should swim more often.

photo: Rachelle Rae House

Last Wednesday I went into the doctor’s office for a minor case of conjunctivitis which, incidentally, hasn’t gotten any better despite the antibacterial eyedrops which were prescribed to me. Everything’s just a little blurry out of my right eye which makes being a web designer a little bit frustrating. While I was sitting in the waiting room it had occurred to me that I was due for another STD test. It’d been long enough, I’ve been sexually active since the last one, and I like to stay on top of such things.

So while I’m in the office, I ask the doctor — my doctor is on maternity leave — if I could get tested for STDs.

“Which ones would you like to be tested for?” she asks.

“Um. All of them?” I respond. “Is that not normal?”

“Actually it’s not. Usually we just test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis and Syphilis.”

“You… don’t test for HIV or Herpes?” I ask incredulously.

“Generally not, unless the patient is a high-risk case. You know, lots of partners.” she responds.

“Well, I’d like the HIV and Herpes too, please.” I say.

“Do you have any symptoms for Herpes?” she asks.

“None that I’m aware of. I’d just like to know.” I respond.

“Yeah, generally this is why I recommend against the Herpes test.” she says.

“I couldn’t imagine any reason why you’d want to recommend against testing for Herpes?”

She responds, “Well, there are plenty of cases out there who are silent carriers. If you’re one, your life changes drastically.”

I say, “I know this.”

She says, “It’ll mean that it doesn’t matter if you’ve ever had a breakout, you’ll have to have ‘the talk’ with your sexual partners.”

To which I respond, “Yes, but in this case, ignorance is not bliss.”

She takes a big sigh and says, “Okay. Well, I’m just saying.”

Can you believe that? Of course I’d have to have “the talk” with my sexual partners if I discover I have herpes… not that I have any reason to believe I’ve got it, incidentally. But it’s good to know, don’t you think? I have met people who, in my three years since having moved to New York City, have contracted herpes. I’m sure in the future I’ll meet more who have it. It’s actually rather common. I gave up making juvenile herpes jokes a long time ago.

However… ignorance is not bliss. I couldn’t believe she’d say that.

Get tested, y’all. It’s good for you. It’s better for others.

ADDENDUM: — June 12, 2007
Test results came back all clear. Big smiles.