I give blood today, because it’s been eight weeks since the last time I did (I’ve done it another time since this post on the subject), and they called. They always called. Today I was talking to Tony Mizzell and he said he used to give, but then he fell out of the system and they stopped calling.

They will never, ever stop calling me. I just know it.

But that’s fine. Even though to me, giving blood is the thing they would do to me in Room 101, even though there was nothing in the world I was more afraid of until the first time I did it, even though I still dread anything that might cause the process to drag out longer than I’m able to hypnotize myself into a temporary state of insouciance, even though I’m walking up and down the corridor clapping my hands on my ears and making loud noises with my mouth to keep from hearing about the bad experience someone here at ADCO had once giving blood…

Even despite all that, I don’t mind giving, because I know it’s needed. They need your blood, too. People in the Midlands don’t give enough, so there’s pretty much always a shortage, to the point that we have to import blood from elsewhere. How pathetic is that?

You should come down to the Red Cross and join me later today. Or anytime, as long as it’s soon.