It's a little after midnight so I'm over the time limit but I gave blood nine hours ago so I'm claiming the Red Cross exemption for
today's post.
Giving blood is a simple chore that is made irritating by all the protocols that surround it. They ask you your name and date of birth over and over as if you might suddenly have been switched with an alien presence. If they're so concerned about safety why not give you a wrist band that they could scan?
Then they want to know all about your sexual habits. Again, redundant questions that would be easy to lie about. Have I paid for sex? Have I paid for sex with somebody my own gender? Have I had sex with anyone who has or might have HIV?
How many people are there that are taking time out of their lives to put themselves through all this and then lie? I get that someone who hadn't come out about their sexuality might feel peer-pressured into giving blood. However, that very fact means that they must have tests to assure the blood is clean before passing on to the recipient. Add in the Covid-19 protocols and it verges on a gothic inquisition.
They also have a questionnaire with ~84 questions that you are supposed to complete on line before coming to the donation center. This is new and supposed to speed things up but it doesn't because they ask all the same questions all over again. Twice!
Finally, they actually take the blood. That takes half the time the questioning does. “Lie down”, “Make a fist”, “You may feel a needle prick”, Be bored for ten minutes while a little bag fills up with your vital fluid.
After that somebody smiles at you and says “Thank You” You get a juice box and a mini bag of cookies and go home.
Why do people do it? The same people, over and over. Not knowing who it will go to or why. Putting themselves through this exasperating process when they have other things in their lives.
Simply because it's the right thing to do. It's the ultimate altruism. You don't know who you're giving this gift to; cop or crook, black white or green, republican or democrat. All you know is that somebody will need this and you're there to make sure they get it. No gold star, just the feeling that you did the right thing.
See you in six months when we do it all over again!
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