Is the cost of a condom too much to pay for peace of mind. Is fifty cents to much to pay for a condom? Ask the HIV positive man who spends $50,000 a year just to stay alive. Ask him if he would buy a condom if he could do it all over again and he will tell you Condoms do help prevent HIV AIDS! I have asked them, I have seen their tears, I know what they say, all of them. Condoms save lives. I don't care what Rush Limbaugh, Annie Fanny or anyone else has to say, Condoms save lives period. Now I'm not saying condoms are perfect. Abstinence in my opinion is the only sure way to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, but what if you don't abstain? Should you take your chances? Should you hold a gun with one bullet to your head and fire off a few rounds? Why not? It's the same thing!
Let me tell you a short story about a girl I met at a seminar where I was speaking. Of course the subject of condoms came up. Immediately a young girl burst into tears. She was very emotional even when she calmed down enough to speak to me. I apologized for upsetting her but she assured me it wasn't my fault. She proceeded to tell me a story I won't ever forget.
"Bill, I'm so sorry for all of the tears, I know it's not often that you mention the word condom to a girl and she breaks down crying. I have something I need to tell you. I know you are working for a good cause and I want you to tell my story. Maybe I could save someone's life."
"As you know, I am a model and I frequently travel. Well, three summers ago, while shooting in Paris, I met the most wonderful man, his name was Stephen. He had the most beautiful smile and the most beautiful green eyes I have ever known. He was 26 and I was 18 at the time we met. I couldn't help but spend every free moment with Stephen, I was so in love. As the summer turned to fall, we both knew I would be traveling back to the states soon, we counted the days we had left together. I have never met a man that was so kind, so caring, so compassionate. Stephen looked into my eyes and everything in the world was good. He was everything I ever dreamed of wanting in a man."
"I kissed Stephen goodbye at the airport; we couldn't stop crying. We could only tell each other that we would meet again soon, but we both knew different. We kissed for what seemed an eternity and then he was gone. As I flew back to America, I could still smell his cologne, I could still feel his embrace. His beautiful eyes were still fresh in my memory. I wondered if I had made the right choice in following my career rather than my heart. I wondered if I would ever see Stephen again."
"For three years, a day didn't pass that I didn't think of Stephen. He was my motivation on exhausting days and my fantasy on lonely nights. Every man I met, I compared to Stephen. No man stood a chance with me. My friends said I was hurting myself by not letting go, but I felt so alive, so loved when I thought of Stephen. How could I ever let go of something that felt this way, something that felt this good? I was still in love and nothing could change that. I knew we would meet again. One day, I knew we would be together."
"Last spring I traveled back to Paris. I did see Stephen again, and we held each other close as we did that wonderful summer. Stephen looked into my eyes searching for forgiveness as if to say he was sorry. I just cried and held him tighter. He smiled and his beautiful green eyes looked at me one last time as he died in my arms. I will never forget the sorrow and sadness I felt as he slowly let go. I will never forget the date Stephen passed away, for it was the day my heart died and it was my 21st birthday."
"I am sure now that Stephen never stopped loving me, I was the last girl he was ever with. Stephen and I made love three years ago in the summer of '94, the day I was to return to America. He was the first and last man I ever made love to. We only made love once, but it was truly love. Stephen told me not to worry and I believed him. How could I not believe those big beautiful eyes and that perfect smile. He was so thoughtful and honest, why would I need to use a condom with someone so perfect? He was such a strong man.
"Stephen weighed 195 pounds of solid muscle when I met him. He only weighed 98 pounds the day he died of AIDS. The old saying "love is blind" is not only true, it is the reason my life has been turned upside down, rocked to the foundation, destroyed...I'm not sure why I believed Stephan and I'm not sure why I was so naive, but love is indeed blind. Today I am HIV positive and spending roughly $30,000 a year on medical cocktails to stay alive as long as I can,. I never thought in a million years that I would be the girl who died of aids. I was with one man, for one time, without one condom, and I will pay for that the rest of my short life."
"So now you see Bill why I'm so upset. One condom, that I never used, could and most likely would have saved my life."
- April
Now do you believe me when I say condoms save lives? Until we stamp out all sexually transmitted diseases, Condoms are the needed tools for a longer healthier life. No more excuses. Please be Safe. All it takes is one mistake to ruin a life. April made one mistake on her photo shoot in Paris. April died May 5, 1998..............in my eyes, she will always be "the girl who died of Aids" Most all of us know someone, or remember that one person or that one movie star who died of Aids. It is not the way we want to remember someone and most definitely not the way we want to be remembered.
No more excuses. Buying condoms is no longer taboo, It's the cool and necessary thing to do. So get them and use them, if you are in the dating scene, there really is no reason not to use a condom....Period!
"Stay Safe and Let the Good Times Roll"
Bill Haney
President, Rip n Roll Inc.
RipnRoll condom store, seen on...
Bill Haney
Author
Bill is President / CEO of RipNRoll Inc. and a regular contributor at RipNRoll.com. Entrepreneur, Businessman and Father, Bill has kept up his goal of "Protecting the Planet one condom at a time" since 1996