Friday, August 05, 2005
Every day people amaze me
Each day, living in the microcosm that is DC, and especially the Dupont/Logan neighborhood, I'm amazed by the actions of others. The quite beautiful photo above, credited to a C.J. Julian, is from last Friday, when a local resident, age 27, realized he was falling into a Crystal Meth addiction (something whose current grip on the gay community in DC is hard to overstate), and decided to speak out about it on 17th Street (ground zero of gay DC). He's also chronicling his story (only 12 days old) on his website here: Crystal Meth. Its an enlightening read. Especially check out the other pictures of him on 17th Street.
What amazes me, and thus I want to share, is how open and notorious he has made his current situation. He hides nothing. You can watch his message change, from "I use Crystal Meth" to "I don't need Crystal Meth" to "I choose not to use Crystal Meth." When he first decided to start this public dialogue, he e-mailed everyone: friends, co-workers, even his parents. Their responses are included. His banners are shockingly blunt and direct, discussing his experiences this summer without apologizing for them.
It fascinates me.
