AIDS Memorial Grove

I took a lot of touristy type photos in San Francisco...today is the first day of a string of those images. I visited the Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation area and spent some time in amongst the National AIDS Memorial Grove. It is stunning and beautiful in there. Images don't do it justice really. I have to say that I was drawn to it, in part I think because I came of age in the late 80's. AIDS was such a huge part of our lives then. And, for me, I think the first step in my own social consciousness being raised. I was raised by my wonderful parents to believe that we are all equal. In watching the world deal with this extremely polarized issue, it struck me hard for the very first time that we are not. Sad but true. These people were sick and the rest of us spent so much time talking about how who they were might have or might not have leant itself to causing this illness. I listened and watched in utter disbelief...because, at the end of the day, who cares? They were sick and they needed us to help them get better. That's it. The end....or rather the beginning really.

I got a little choked up upon reading this rock--what a beautiful thing to have met for the first time when people were walking on the moon for the first time. Beautiful.

Just be free. One thing is for certain...we are all just a bunch of humans walking the earth doing the best that we can with what we have.