Stories from the Edge - Volunteer Now

“Through volunteerwork an individual candevelop”David McCartneyIt was five years before David McCartney was able to watch the US box office hit 'Philadelphia'. Starring Tom Hanksthe film was about a Philadelphia lawyer and gay man who is living with the Aids virus. He is forced to faceignorance and prejudice from people who supposedly should have known better.But intertwined with the films theme is the notion of the Philadelphia lawyer. In the United States but perhapsmissed on this side of the Atlantic, the phrase connotes theassumption of someone with outstanding ability. There isalso the film's title name 'Philadelphia', a city that wasfounded by William Penn. In classical Greek the word‘philadelphia’ means brotherly love. It was also the name ofthe ancient world city Philadelphus devoted to Attalus II,King of Pergamum by his brother Eumenes II.For David McCartney the film's trauma was unbearable. Hecandidly admits that when he finally got around towatching it last year he sat in front of the television crying.“there is no timefor complacency”Philadelphia has all the hallmarks of a classical Greek Tragedy with its expected end. David’s reaction was caused by hisown experience of having cared for a close friend during his last days.Not a lot of people know that Derry man Jim McShane was a mega star in Italy where he sang under the name ofBaltaimora, in the 1980s. Jim was gay and he came home from Milan to die in his home city. It was a traumatic time for