I DONATED BLOOD TODAY, as part of the Blue/Orange blood drive competition with Kentucky. Tennessee had a lead of well over 100 pints, meaning that we’ve got a decent chance at winning something this weekend, anyway. . . .

Turnout was very good, and once again I was interested to see that the sex ratio — once skewed heavily toward women — seemed to have evened out. The blood folks said that was their impression, too. Best button: “Phlebotomists have bloody good ideas!”

The list of questions and exclusions seems to get longer every time I do this. As I’ve noted here before, I wonder if all these exclusions might not cost as many lives as they save. Since I’m one of the few people I know who’s eligible to give blood, I try to do it a couple of times a year, since it’s got to come from someplace.

UPDATE: Reader D. Norwood writes: “As the parent of 2 immune deficient children who are alive today because of regular infusions of a blood product (gamma globulin), I want to thank you for donating blood. You literally saved lives today and 2 of those lives are very precious to me.”

If you can donate, it’s good to do so. We take blood availability for granted but, like a lot of things that we take for granted, it’s only there because people do what’s necessary.