Sound Sleep

Having only had about 2 hours sleep the night before, I slept like a rock last night, in an extra-long twin size bed on the campus of Emory University. Apart from my teammate, not another soul was in the pristine 4-story, sustainably designed freshman dorm yet all around us was an air of hope – Emory School of Medicine, Children’s Healthcare, Biomedical Research, School of Public Health, Emory Vaccine Center, even the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Reminds me a bit of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance triad and several other major research hubs around the world.

Personally, I could never spend my days bent over a microscope, attempting one new idea after another over an entire career with the very real possibility of never quite reaching your ultimate goal but thank goodness there are others who do. Thank goodness there are scientists and researchers and students with inquisitive minds and an optimism encouraging them to find successful applications for any important step along the way toward improving the quality of any human life.

In a few hours I’ll walk to the Emory School of Medicine to check in for the AIDS Vaccine 200. I’m incapable of curing AIDS, but sleep soundly knowing I can do one small thing to support those who are.