The Missing Experience

more reasons

There was a billboard sort of sign in the Mission some years ago. It read “17 Reasons Why”.

It was on Mission and 17th, above what is now “Thrift Town”.
It used to advertise for the now-defunct Redlick’s Furniture store.

I particularly like this one from Michael Thomas Angelo on his Flickr page:

17 Reasons

A friend of mine got married some years ago, and her husband did a play on that notion, listing reasons as part of his proposal. Good idea, I thought. I think it gave me the idea.

I first started doing counseling at test sites in SF for HIV and other STDs.
This was with the AIDS Health Project.
I spoke with people about their concerns and behaviors before I administered a test, and then met with them a week later to give them results and talk further.

Over the years, I collected reasons why people “put themselves at risk,” as we say.
Some of the reasons are poignant.
It relates to my previous post, about our actions, and what they really reflect.

It’s a rich subject. Everything’s a risk, including walking across the street. So it relates to things like perceptions, sense of self, and even spirituality.

Here’s the poem I wrote back then:

21 REASONS:

1. It was the heat of the moment
2. You were drunk or high
3. You just weren’t thinking
4. You couldn’t help yourself
5. Everyone’s doing it
6. No one’s doing it
7. It felt good
8. Condoms suck
9. You’re not concerned
10. You were bored
11. You were confused
12. He took you by surprise
13. You were abused as a child
14. You wanted to see what would happen
15. Sounded like a good idea at the time
16. Someone had to
17. You’ve always done it
18. You already did it once
19. Why not?
20. You didn’t want to die without doing it
21. You wanted to manifest god