A different world

Dr Fahim Chand | Monday February 20, 2023 06:00

As I stood basking not only in the early coolness of winter but also in my freedom, I couldn’t help but feel a certain lack of elation. While freedom caressed every single one of my cells, I couldn’t help but feel powerless. I was a slave to another powerful master; expectation. On the surface, I appeared to have everything. Young, amongst my peers at a prestigious educational institution with the future beckoning. And yet anxiety had its powerful hands around my throat and was squeezing gently.

For now. Expectation had bid anxiety to do its dirty work. Alone in my unshackled youth and all I could think of was not to disappoint my parents. Ultra-important standards and grades needed to be maintained. Stress levels bobbed and bounced like an equaliser gyrating to the latest Kendrick Lamar release. Never to be completely silenced. While stress, like the wind, is a part of everyday life, we need to fight back and learn to cope. I threw my knapsack into the car and streamed into the flow of the night.

Billy Idol’s White Wedding’s raw explosive rhythm rocketed into the night air. My own adrenaline levels escalated, as I navigated the early evening traffic. I manoeuvred into the brimming parking lot and by some divine decree managed to find an empty parking spot. A cursory scan of the surroundings revealed nuanced colours of the rainbows and physical perfection everywhere. Was I at the red carpet premiere of Keanu Reeve’s Matrix film? No. The rainbow colours formed the palette of the latest fitness fashions and the physical excellence are a natural consequence of being in the parking lot of Gold’s Gym in a university town. As the magic of technology scanned my card, it allowed me access into a different world. One of the greatest stress relievers is physical activity.

The gym was as usual filled with college students all fulfilling their energetic homework in pursuit of a perfect body. While one may imagine that this meant curves in all the right places and bulging biceps and deltoids, it also meant working out the most vital muscle of all, the heart. Stress reduction was a bonus prize for all this mobility. I was working out today with my roommate Dave and our friend Mike. Mike’s nickname was Dojo Master and he had acquired a deal to produce a fitness programme in Los Angeles. He would only be with us for a short period before he changed his area code. We were engaged in a spirited weight lifting session when a curious murmur permeated the gym. A few people had gathered around the gym’s numerous televisions. We resumed our strenuous workout as more people gathered around the televisions. A curious tense energy engulfed the place. We made our way to the closest television as the music stopped. The presenter indicated that a breaking news press conference was about to begin. The scene focused on a familiar face. As he readied to begin, it felt strange to see him in a formal suit. I’d become accustomed to seeing him in purple and gold with the number 32 emblazoned across his chest. That 32 might as well have been a red S for this was Superman. A basketball superhero named Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The greatest point guard the world has ever seen. Confused chatter erupted throughout the gym. What could this press conference be about? As Magic started, his engaging smile was missing today, stolen by fate. The most constant of thieves. The words would be etched in the memories of every basketball fan who had ever seen Magic Johnson caress that basketball and from it conjure the most astonishing magic you can conceive. The master, the puppeteer of the most cohesive basketball unit constructed. The “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers. The words; “This virus I have attained.” It was November 7, 1991. The world of sport changed that moment. The veil lifted, AIDS was blind. It knew nothing of the basketball greatness of Magic Johnson. It infected indiscriminately, from the crack addict sharing needles to the hallowed greatness of basketball’s best. We were shocked and saddened. We hold our heroes to such unattainable standards. We are all flawed. Magic Johnson may have been cut from a different cloth, but even it too has flaws.

We shine a light on it so bright, that we could not see its blemishes. Our imaginations conjured haunting images of Magic Johnson withering away like another icon, Freddie Mercury. But sometimes fate leads us down a different path, one of kindness and redemption. While Magic Johnson retired from basketball that day, though he would return, he is alive and well today. HIV is no longer a death sentence. THE introduction of ARV drugs has allowed patients to live their full lives. Botswana must be commended here. ARV’s are provided by the Botswana government for all residents, INCLUDING non-citizens. In addition, Botswana has allowed the use of injectable anti-retroviral (ARV) medications to increase HIV treatment adherence. These are administered every two months and are more convenient than daily tablets, which patients may forget to take. Sometimes, in the aftermath of nature’s wrath, we come together across boundaries and rejoice in triumph. One of these is the fight against HIV/AIDS. Now, if only we could figure out how to make Liverpool Football Club and Jurgen Klopp less annoying.