Wednesday, 10/9

I'm bummed I couldn't give blood yesterday.

Conditions for it were perfect, too. The blood mobile was across the street from the station in the Range Bank parking lot, I had a few extra minute set aside for it, and I was all set to go...at least all set to go until the fact that I'm suffering from my yearly bout of fall hay fever made me realize that I wasn't eligible to donate.

Bummer.

Those of you who've read these forever know that we used to do a lot with the UP Regional Blood Donor Center, especially around this time of the year when they used to hold their annual Halloween blood drive. I'd broadcast from drives all around the central U.P., giving blood live while I was on the air. I'd try to convince as many people as possible to join me, giving me a job title/nickname among the staff that was almost as good as “Jim Koski, Media Wh*re”--

“Pimping for Dracula”.

Unfortunately, we aren't able to do as much together as we used to, and I haven't had many chances to sneak free and make a donation. It takes half an hour or so to donate, plus whatever time it takes to get there and get back. That's why yesterday would've been a perfect chance to get back into the groove. Sadly, the gunk in my throat had other ideas.

I've always tried to donate as much as possible because I'm genetically different than most people. I have a rare blood type, O negative. Only six percent of humans have it, and the thing about O negative is that it's a universal blood type. You can give it to anyone with any blood type, and it works. You can't give someone with, say, O positive blood A Positive blood, but you can give them O Negative. That's why, in an emergency situation, if you don't know someone's blood type, you can always give them O Neg with no concerns at all. But since only six percent of humans have O Negative, there isn't a lot of it around. That's why, at least in the past, I always tried to share what I had.

And that's why I was bummed yesterday.

I know I should be making the time to donate blood more; as I always said during the drives, one pint of blood can help save up to three lives. (It's also a great way to lose a pound in 20 minutes, if that's a concern). And the rarer the blood, the more there's a need for it. But between a jam-packed schedule and not being anywhere near the blood center and the freakish fact that anytime I give blood early in the morning (when I actually have time) I tend to get woozy...

Well, it just kind of fell by the wayside. It shouldn't have, but it did. And that's all on me.

Hopefully, the Blood Center will be doing another drive nearby soon, and hopefully, when they do do it, whatever's bothering my sinuses will have gone into hibernation for another year. If not, I'll just have to find some time—make some time—and allow them to drain a pint of my O Negative blood.

It's a habit I should really get back into.

(jim@wmqt.com)