I went to lunch recently with a old school friend I hadn't seen in years. Same old story, lost touch over years, went to a High School Reunion, reacquainted ourselfs, and planned a lunch date to catch up, that got post poned like 10 times. A year later we finally get our busy schedules in line and met for a very good lunch.

I told him that I had something to tell him. "He said sure what is it."

" Well, I have schizophrenia! Been sick for the past 15 years, but doing well these days." I got the look....by now I know the look.

Most are usually running scenarios in their head while your saying this, like you should be in a bell tower somewhere picking off people with a rifle. Or in a robe slobbering all over yourself talking in code, or wearing a tin foil hat so the government cant steal your thoughts.

Others are scanning the table to check to see if all the knives and forks are accounted for.

I gave him the whole run down how it started, how it took 5 years to get stable and how my life is doing now... good I might add.

He did rather well I thought, and only had a few questions.

The the next thing, he says, "Well I got something I'd like to tell you."

He totally trumps my little disease with his..."I'm HIV+, and have been since 1991."

Now I had the look of holy crabcakes, and he had the look of is he going to freak out or be cool with it.

It was kinda like in wrestling when you think you have someone in a full nelson and your yelling at them to submit, cause there's no way in hell they are going to get out of this, then BAM, the next thing you know, your on your face with your arm pinned back, and your loosing the match.

Holy Cow..he let me go on and on about my crybaby crap and he has this bomb.

I think I handled it well and we talked for a long time.

I don't think he had ever met anyone with schizophrenia, and I have never had any one tell me they had HIV. Its a small town...so it was kinda surreal to say the least. We both have diseases with lots of stigma associated with them.

I texted him later to let him know we would keep in touch, and we needed to schedule another lunch or dinner very soon.. He agreed.

Sorry, its something personal, but I didn't have anyone else I could to share this with.