(no subject)

jessicalDo you work as a safe sex educator? I've not been clear on this yet . . .

My actual job title is "Youth Prevention Specialist." I work with HIV/STD and substance abuse prevention with youth. My job focuses on high risk youth of color...youth with a history of substance use/abuse, in treatment, or defined as high risk by various other criteria.

ruralrob -- When doing your HIV/AIDS prevention work have you ever been truly embarassed by its sexual explicitness?

I think "embarassed" isn't quite the right word. It's more "stunned" sometimes when I think about the age of my audience and the questions they ask.

yix -- Do you have filters for you or for other people, or both? (As in, are they for your privacy or because of the interests/non-interests of your audience)

Both. I use filters to pick and choose who sees what sometimes, because this is my journal, and to allow people who aren't interested in some of the things I write about, or downright squicked by it aren't subjected to it.


malte -- Congratulations on the impending hitchment. How is your wedding going to be, umm, recognisably different?

Thank you! I don't know. I'm still working on that. In fact, I just had a disagreement with my mother over lack of ideas and inspiration for it. Any suggestions?

jaclyn -- Are you happy? Do you have a general idea of what happy may be? Is it relative?

I think so. I'm happy with what I have right now, certainly content. I'm still striving for more, better, other, but that doesn't make me dissatisfied with what I have now. I think happiness is something mutable, it changes at different points in life, much like other things do. I'm not sure about it being relative or not. For some, I suppose it is, like their identity is defined by who they're with, whereas for me, I define my identity by what I'm doing.


fairion -- What is the most special thing about your fiance

I have to pick one thing? He's incredibly charming...he knows how to get at the center of me, when he says things like "Do you believe in the power of the Magic 8 Ball?"

He has far more qualities that made me fall for him. Even if he did shave his head!


lala2 -- What is your favorite kind of dog?

I grew up with a couple of keeshonds. Love them. I tend to not like small, yippy dogs.

mangosteen -- What was your first impression of me, and how has that changed over time?

You were big. You had a presence that overwhelmed. You've changed though...you've grown up, and so have I, and I respect you in a different way than when I met you. Not more, but differently.

But can you tell me how to not let my Mom drive me nuts over the wedding?