Outside Reading: "A Journey of Hope" - Mary Ragan

For one of my other classes we had to choose a book to read about an "other" and then write a paper on it. It had to examine something that is very different from ourselves. I chose to read a book called "A Journey of Hope" by Neil Willenson. So my "other" was children who are affected by HIV/AIDS. This book was very interesting and included pictures, stories, and poems by kids and others involved at Camp Heartland, a camp created for youth both infected and affected by AIDS. There are camps in many states now and they provide their services free of charge. The camp was created to give kids a chance to feel normal, accepted, and to have fun and make friends. I learned a lot from the book, not realizing many of the facts about the virus and what is involved when you or someone close to you is infected. There are so many ways in which they are affected. They feel shunned, embarrassed, discriminated against, scared, lonely, sad, stigmatized, among other things. Unfortunately, often there are misconceptions about the virus. For example you don't just get it from being around the person or sharing drinks. There has to be direct blood contact, sexually, or through needles. At Camp Heartland they are given a chance to identify and relate with other youth like themselves and finally feel like they belong. Just like many other camps, the children have fun, play outside, relax, and enjoy each other, with the normal summer camp activities. I realize how crucial it is for us as humans to feel this sense of belongingness and to enjoy being with other, to find others like us and be able to share and be together. This is what the kids get a chance to do. They have things like discussions at candle light too and have the chance to be open and talk. These may some things many of us take for granted, being able to be ourselves and share with others, to have fun, and not be stigmatized like so many of those affected by HIV/AIDS are.