By Michele Howe
Last month I gave blood for the first time in a long time.
It had been such a long stretch between giving that I couldn’t remember if I was O positive or O negative. Ironically, I wondered if the people who know me best would know the difference either.
When I received my shiny red donor card emblazoned with O positive right under my name, I sort of laughed, because I know better. More often than not, I am not O-so-positive. Rather, I am O-so-negative.
I could blame it on the type of work I do, because reviewers have to see manuscripts with a critical eye in order to review them accurately.
I shouldn’t allow my ability to read a text with a critical eye to spill over into my life . . . but I do.
So, whether I want to call it another New Year’s resolution or not, I am determined to begin my day giving thanks for what I have and look at every new day embracing an O positive attitude.
And another thing . . . giving blood regularly is a positive step in the right direction too. Here are some interesting facts I learned from the Red Cross website after giving some of mine.
· Blood donations save up to three lives.
· Only 30% of first-time donors come back a second time.
· Often blood supplies are just two days away from running out.
· Every day in the U.S. over 39,000 donations are needed.
· More than 1/2 of the blood needed nationwide is Type O.
· Visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to schedule your next donation.
Michele Howe is a LaSalle resident and author of “One Size Fits All.” For more information, visit http://michelehowe.wordpress.
