Hobbies

Some people write, some people draw, and still other people collect cards. I do all that and more, the more being donating blood. Something like only ten percent of people eligible to give blood do so, and even fewer than that give blood more than that one time and even fewer than THAT give blood on a regular basis.

I am one of those super special people who gives blood regularly. I mark down on my calendar when I can safely give blood again, seek out opportunities to give blood at areas near and convenient to me, then call ahead and make an appointment to give blood. I love doing it, the needle rarely hurts, and the people who draw blood are some of the most lively and animated people I have ever had the pleasure to talk with. I'm looking at you Fran, and yes, I forgive you for digging around my veins.

Blood only lasts about 40 some odd days, once it passes that point, kaput, into the trash it goes. You can give blood every 55 days.  People need blood, one in seven hospital patients require a transfusion. That is a hell of a lot of people. Every time I give blood, I give a Double Cell Donation, which takes away twice the amount of cells, duh, then replaces the rest of the stuff. The feeling of room temperature plasma entering your body is by far one of the strangest feelings in the world, I might add. Think someone pouring ice water down your back, from under your skin. I digress, allow me to get on to the main reason for this blog post.

You see, the thing is, I don't give blood to give back to the community, I don't do it because I am a good person. I do it because I am the worst kind of selfish. I feel good giving blood, I get a literal high off it. Needles and stabbing scare the crap out of me, it gets all the adrenaline my glands can produce working overtime, supplying my brain with a nice fight or flight mechanism that floods my body.  I'm not altruistic, I'm a socially acceptable junky.

Does this make it okay? That my fix is beneficial to the society in which I am situated? I love the feeling of blood draining, and I LOVE how I get calls from people, saying I'm needed or thanking me for my generosity. I need to be needed, I want to be wanted. Does this make me a bad person?