The Story of the Person Who Taught Me I’m Still Worthy of Love — Even Though I’m Using Drugs
“It’s Avira. Don’t even worry, you can ask me as many times as you need to!”
She did a little half-smile with a twinkle in her eye that told me she was used to having to remind people of her name. It made sense, considering that she interacted with many people who engaged in chronic heavy drug use, suffered from mental illnesses, and had very high-stress day-to-day lives. When you’re living on the streets and are in a constant state of survival, it can be hard to remember someone’s name. Especially one so distinctive as Avira.
“Avira. Got it.” I nodded and shifted the contents of my reusable shopping bag so the handles weren’t digging into my shoulders as much.
I’d met Avira a few months earlier at a drop-in syringe exchange site; the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s 6th Street location.
I’d gotten all the usual supplies I needed — needles, cookers, cotton swabs, alcohol pads, etc. One of their staff members had let me know that they had a few other services they offered; Narcan, pizza days and groups in their community room. I don’t remember what exactly I was signing up for, or…
