Did You miss me? It’s hard for me to believe sometimes that after 2 years I am finally out of the hospital. I’ve been waiting to get a jumpstart on my new life for so long. The world is an unforgiving place. In my new-found existence this is a huge eye-opener. To go from a 300lb, 6’2″ “giant” to 4’11″ in a wheelchair is the most humbling experience that I have or will ever have to experience. There is not one thing I can even fathom to compare to this ‘life as I know it’ transformation. The way I approach people, the way I relate to people, and the way people relate to me has all been altered… FOREVER! I have still been able to make friends, but I must admit to myself that I have become a little more hesitant to interact and engage with people. I’m very grateful that I have a strong support system to help me with these issues. Nonetheless, I must say that I look forward to being out and about and making new friends as well as chilling with the ones I have now. Stay tuned!

2011 is going to be the year that I start to build on the incredible journey of what will shape up to be the rest of my life. I’m doing whatever, wherever, with whomever. I have something to prove to the world. You could even say that I have a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I need to shock and awe. Part of my destiny is to show people what I can do and touch lives along the way.

As of Christmas eve the new www.beinspiredby.me has been totally redesigned! Enjoy!

Let me start off by saying that when I use the word retarded I absolutely mean no disrespect to anyone what so ever. With that being said…

First things first, being in a wheelchair is hard. Not to say that my life is any more difficult to navigate than the average person’s. I’m just saying that the complications and challenges I come across can be extraordinary to say the least.

The Visual
We all know that how you appear visually is a huge part of how you are perceived. That’s just human nature. Everyone always says, “hey, I don’t judge people!”. Oh how I wish that were true. Even if it’s on a subconscious level, we all have preconceived notions based on what we see.

Let’s jump right into the story that prompted this post.

I attended a charitable dog walk and so did several of my old friends that happen to be members of a biker club. Several of the men brought their spouses/muses and one of the women they brought happened to be a social worker (keep this in mind). So my friend John and his wife want to take a picture with me so they tell the rest of their biker friends and the women they brought to come on over. Well, one woman approached me and began to speak and immediately my WTF meter started blaring. She began to speak to me as if I was a toddler and a small dog. You know the small, fluffy, snuggly lap dogs that women find so precious? Yeah, those. Out of her mouth at half the pace of “normal people” speak came this, “Oh hi buddy, and how are you?”. Only it wasn’t that it was more like, ” ohhhhh hhhhiiii buddy, and how arreee yooouuu”. Let me take some time to double check the spelling…Yup. I had an out of body experience right then and there. It was so film noir. You know what I mean? Some of you are like “film noir?”. Think back when you used to watch Saved by the Bell. You know when they would freeze frame and Zach Morris would then turn and address the camera all the while the other person in the scene was frozen in time? Yeah, like that. Except this wasn’t a Zack Attack this was a “is she serious?”. I was so frustrated. Unfortunately this wasn’t the first time this had happened so I just turned, smiled, and looked handsome for the camera.

So my point is this – I have so many people that interact with me and treat me like a “normal” person that I forget sometimes that I come in a different package. I guess it’s up to me to do some mythbusting and bust through some of these social barriers.

I’ve been a college student since August of this year. To pay for my classes I had to fill out the FAFSA and await my school’s decision. I did everything that I needed to do and BAM!, I get this letter in the mail saying that my school needs a document from my father in order for me to receive the Pell Grant and continue my education. What can I do?

Eureka! I’ll just call my dad and get the info. Duh. Sounds easy right? Well, that’s what I thought. Except that I can’t seem to get a hold of my dad to save my life.

Let’s back up a step. A lot of you who are reading this are like…”You’re an adult, why do you need his financial information anyway?”. Answer; until I am 23 (or born before January of 1987) I am considered a “dependent”. Unless both my parents are dead or I am in state custody.

Awww man! If only there was a way to prove I was independent and get my financial aid… Hold the phone! There is! It’s called a “dependency override”. According to the federal government dependency overrides are only given to people in “extraordinary circumstances”. They are granted solely under the discretion of the managers of the college’s financial aid office.

Piece of cake! Not. I called the financial aid office and also had my social worker call them over a month ago. Monday I went in to the office and explained my situation to them and they pointed out how my FAFSA has my father’s information and handed me the contact information of the manager. The next day I decided to have a conference call with Michael (the manager) along with myself, my social worker, and another one of my care coordinators and was informed that the only “extraordinary circumstances” were abuse and neglect. WTF.

Sidebar.
(My extraordinary situation: got hit by a stolen truck, been hospitalized almost two years, and literally have no place to go. Guess that’s not extraordinary enough. Bad luck I suppose but extraordinary? F no!)
End Sidebar.

After hours of phone call, visits, and frustration… I still got nowhere. I am dying for someone to offer me a solution. Hey! Why not call Michael and let him know what you think! Here’s his contact info: Michael’s desk number is (314) 984-7580 tell him why Al should get financial aid.

Thank you for reading!

Contrary to popular belief I really don’t like to toot my own horn.

Almost every day, (and I’m not exaggerating) I am approached by a parent or other person or group that asks me how I cope or how they can have an attitude like mine. Well, the answer is simple – I have no idea. I’m not a professional by any stretch of the imagination. All I can do is offer people my own particular point of view. They either accept it or they don’t. It’s very humbling that people see me as being “a rock”. What I mean by “a rock” is that when people feel down or they’re having difficulty with certain issues, they come to me. I’m happy to help when I can.

With all that being said…

If you think life is getting tough please let me try to lift your spirits.

In the coming weeks I will be updating both my website and launching my blog. The blog is now up and running (you’re reading it). Tweaks and improvements are coming soon. Enjoy!

I am so happy that I have finally found a place to move. All my life I’ve lived in the city. Now I’ll have to make the transition to the county. I know it’s going to be a whole new world. But I know it will all be for the positive. I have no doubt that I will be successful, but I’d be lying to you if I told you that I wasn’t a bit nervous. I have no idea of the surroundings to which I will be moving. The unknown can always be scary, but it’s how we handle adversity that makes us great. I can’t wait to meet new people, do new things, and share new experiences. Also, I can’t wait to reconnect with people who I haven’t seen for a long time. I have been in the hospital for over a year and a half. With that being said, there are a lot of things that I have missed out on. There are people who will be excited to see me and I’ll be excited to see them as well. I feel almost isolated from people who I used to hang out with regularly. Its amazing to me that so many things can change in the course of a year and a half. All friends make new friends, but it will be real treat to hang out with old friends again.

I feel like I’ve missed out on so many things that once I finally leave the hospital, I will not know what to do first. Although, I have a good idea of what I want to do first, LOL. (Use your imagination). I do however have to be aware that what I do in the next few months will shape the rest of my life. I know that I’ll be faced with many tough decisions. Fortunately, throughout my years I’ve had many people lead me in the right direction. I will use what I have learned over the years, and channel that into a successful, prosperous life. I just hope that I’ll inspired people to do the same no matter what.