I have never understood the fascination of wearing jewelry.  Anything with baubles, beads or bangles is lost on me.  Granted, I do wear a simple set of three sterling silver rings on one finger, but that’s it.  One ring is blank, one is engraved “M2” and the other is engraved “ROCK STAR”.  (If I ever need to be reminded of who I am or how cool I am, I need only glance at my finger.)

Adorning one’s body with sparkly, shiny things has been going on since the dawn of time.  Now it’s called “accessorizing” – which, of course, is the only thing that separates us from the animals.

In my latest “What The Chic” webisode, I give tips on how to unleash pearls upon your person.   Who knew there were so many options?  The only person I know who owns a true set of pearls is my boss, Tamie.  They are stunning draped around her neck.  They should be – they probably cost a small fortune.  Pearls are not an inexpensive buy, but they are a classic.  Hello, Audrey Hepburn.  Hello, immortalization.

Of course, through the entire webisode I was just trying to keep a straight face every time I said “pearl necklace”.  In today’s vernacular, it’s a euphemism for something sexual.  (Uh, go look it up.)  Of course, most everyone knows what it means, thus we couldn’t just ignore it – so we played it up.  How my last line made it past the censors, I’ll never know.  (Probably my deadpan delivery, huh?)  Mind you, I had to re-do that line two dozen times because I kept giggling.  Yes, I’m a professional spokesperson, but still an immature 13-year old boy at heart.

Today was the 22^nd annual AIDS Walk here in Kansas City.  It’s a chance for folks to come together in the fight against this hideous disease.  The proceeds of the walk will benefit the four local AIDS organizations in town.  One of them — SAVE, Inc. — is my personal charity of choice.  It’s an organization I’m passionate about – one towards which I put all my energy and monies.  SAVE provides housing options to men, women and children living with – or at risk for – HIV/AIDS.  It’s shelter, safety and support for these folks all rolled in to one.

SAVE has had such a profound effect on my ad agency that they have officially embraced it as their charity of choice too.  So when I put out the call to my co-workers about helping at the event, I had a healthy turnout.   While thousands of walkers do their things, my team is the official “cheer squad”.  We pass out a lot of hugs and pats on the back as walkers head in to the final stretch.  My hand is actually sore from so many “high-fives” this morning.

AIDS is an unrelenting, unforgiving disease.  Originally, identified in 1981, the epidemic has now spread to every part of the USA and to all sectors of society. More than one million people are living with HIV in the United States.  And more than a half million people have died of the disease since the early ‘80’s.  And that’s why everyone was out in full force today.

The weather had looked a little sketchy all week, but the heavy rain managed to hold out until the last few walkers had crossed the finish line.  Whew!  No rainbows, mind you, that would have been WAY too clichéd.