Phone Call

After a tres stressful week involving members of a certain forum which shall (for the time being) remain nameless I received a 'phone call from Aaron (soon to be added to that promised Cast section. I met Aaron at a Christian student group way back in the late '90s. He's been a faithful friend ever since. I was the first person he came out to, even though my 'gaydar' had detected that long ago. He too had read about the fire in the local paper and wondered 'if it had anything to do with me'. Oddly enough I found that question rather amusing. He was also worried about my reaction to the pope's death.

There is one bone of contention between us though - his weight. He suffers from the little recognised eating disorder - Binge Eating Disorder. Once, in the throes of purging anorexia, I wrote in my diary: 'Anorectics are pitied, binge eaters are scorned and bulimics are simply ignored.' I have suffered from all three of those disorders. I do not scorn Aaron. I am genuinely concerned about him. It's as though he is insisting upon committing slow suicide - by eating himself to death and resisting any help offered to him. He has compromised his system to such an extent that he is susceptible to every infection going around. And I am supposed to stand back and watch. Maybe it's time for what psychologists call 'tough love' . Having an addiction does not absolve a person of taking responsibility for their own health.

Or maybe I'm the pot and he's the kettle.