Life’s a Road Trip: Recent Episodes
Scott Martin
Being categorized as disabled or handicapped can feel like you’re constantly moving forward in reverse. Join me as I talk with my new friends from this underrepresented community about their views of life through their art, poetry, sport, and writing. Hey, life’s a road trip. Hop in. Let’s turn on some tunes and go!
This week's guests are Carla Birnberg and Catherine Njeri.
They did it! Carla was on the show a year ago as we discussed the concept of the Upili project. Well, like the famous words of Wilbur Wright to his brother, "The damn thing really does fly, Orville!"
Okay, maybe that wasn't said.
But Upili has taxied the runway and is in the air.
Visit https://www.upili.org and book a flight.
This week's guest is Gina Martin.
The name of her company, Diverse Abilities, made me pause and read more.
Short. Sweet. and to the point. Diverse Abilities fit perfectly into the theme: "Diverse Abilities recognizes that no two people have the same skills, resources, opportunities or support systems."
Our discussion followed that same straight path. Okay, we ventured off the trail more than a few times. But we always followed the breadcrumbs back.
Check out what Gina is doing. Visit https://diverseabilities.ca
This week's guest is Lynne "L.K." Bowen.
An author has only a moment to grab the attention of an agent or publisher. What is said or written is called the elevator pitch.
After a book is finally produced and placed on the open market, it boils down to the cover art to attract readers to crack the spine and become immersed in the storyline. In that same manner, I've titled this episode from a little piece of the cover of L.K. Bowen's debut novel, For Worse.
It wasn't just the fact that her "pitch" and cover grabbed me, but Lynne has something to say about Retinitis Pigmentosa in this gripping thriller. You see, like her protagonist, Ellie, she too has RP and her loss of sight is slowly closing in from all sides.
I'm tempted to dig into the storyline, but take a listen to our discussion then sit back with For Worse while the story pulls you in.
What's Lynne up to next? That's the next elevator pitch.
For Worse is available wherever good books are sold.
You can learn more about Lynne at her website https://www.authorlkbowen.com/
To learn more about Retinitis Pigmentosa and other degenerative retinal diseases, visit www.fightingblindness.org
This week's guest is Krystian Shaw.
Krystian reached out to me about coming on the show so, of course, I had to check him out.
Each and every time I opened a link to an article after Googling him, there was nothing but a positive attitude that came across. This made me pause and think how, during these times filled with so much negativity, I have become more cynical about the world than I may have been at any time in my life.
Go ahead, listen to this episode, and try not to come away at least a bit less cynical yourself. That's the power of Krystian's message.
His attitude makes me think of the song "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFarren. Of course, I'll be head-bopping to that tune inside my head all day.
May Krystian's positive attitude rub off on all of us!
Check out Krystian's "Kamloops Self Advocate Newsletter" HERE
Watch a video to learn more about Krystian's positive approach to life HERE
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This week's guest is Jeremy Andrew Davis.
I found Jeremy to be as diverse as the multiple characters that he plays in his cameos.
The description “I help people laugh at themselves and cry for others, cast off their troubles and find their joy, see the invisible and hear silence." that Jeremy uses hits home and provides viewers with enough of a tease to learn more.
I'll stop taking up your time... Have a listen to this episode then check out Jeremy's work. Be ready to laugh and be ready to think.
https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyandrewdavis
https://www.instagram.com/jeremyandrewdavis/
https://www.facebook.com/thejeremyandrewdavis
https://www.youtube.com/@jeremyandrewdavis
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This week's guest is Debrah Ruh.
The episode opens with "When told by ‘experts’ that her daughter, Sara, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, would be lucky to push shopping carts at the local grocery store, Debra..."
Listen to the show then circle back to finish the intro with more force. Perhaps only the term "force" would suffice as the title. Debra Ruh is certainly a force -- a force the disability community needs.
The more I do Life's a Road Trip the deeper my own interest grows because with every guest, the more I get behind this movement.
As Debra states more than once, we are in the midst of change. Yes, we are.
Do you want to learn more? Check these sites:
Ruh Global
Billion Strong
The Valuable 500
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This week's guest is Justin Jesudas.
As a good host should, I arrive at the online studio well in advance of my guests. It has nothing to do with tidying things but more to do with allowing my PC to get rolling.
And as luck has it, I always have time to turn on some tunes courtesy of Pandora. On the day of my recording with Justin, the first song that started pouring through my headphones was Time to Move On by Tom Petty on the Wildflowers album.
The opening stanza goes like this:
It's time to move on, it's time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It's time to move on, time to get going
As I was reviewing my notes for Justin's show, it struck me that Petty's words fit the interview that I imagined.
As you'll find in our discussion, Justin doesn't let grass grow under his feet or the wheels of his wheelchair. With him, it's always time to move on, time to get going.
Okay, Justin's always on the move. So what?
First, consider that he has won 18 gold medals in swimming. Next, consider his work with the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (LINK). Then there's his crowning achievement: His two little kids.
Oh, did I mention that Justin is a quadriplegic?
Keep on keepin' on, Justin!
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This week's guest is Meryl Evans.
It was the statement "Progress Over Perfection" that she proudly wears that made me pause. It didn't take long before I opened another window or two on my PC to start digging into Meryl and what she does on behalf of those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
As the show moves forward, we're more focused on guests who aren't afraid to stand up and speak out when it comes to shining a positive light on the disability community. Meryl definitely fits that mold.
Want to see an example of Meryl's message? Click HERE to watch her TEDx presentation. I promise that she'll make you think. You need to watch her talk on automated captions with Thomas Logan HERE. Interested in having Meryl speak to your company? Go HERE.
Progress over perfection... Listen to Meryl and come away with a better understanding of how important and simple that statement is.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This week's guest is Steve Wright.
Steve is a respected city planner who isn't afraid to speak his mind when it comes to designing or retrofitting cities so they are welcoming to all -- including members of the disabled community.
When I first came across Steve, it was easy to see that he is eagerly searching for the 'Inclusive City'.
Yes, he realizes there is no Yellow Brick Road to guide him. But when it comes to shining a light on what is missing, he takes a step back and ponders, and then recommends new ways to make our cities more functional.
Below are just a few of Steve's articles. They're an interesting read.
Everyone Benefits From Inclusion HERE
When Inclusive...Isn't HERE
Why Universal Design is critical to CNU HERE
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I shift gears from my teaching and soccer to my book and soccer. New episodes will be recorded during the summer months.
This week's guests are Carla Birnberg & Mariam Ndegwa.
Baron Von Raschke, Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, and The Crusher. Those were some of the wrestling characters that we watched on Sunday mornings before church when I was a kid. But they have nothing on the tag team of Carla and Mariam.
First in the ring is Carla who goes by the nickname of Chief Storyteller. It's her job to make the initial contact with possible donors before she tags off to Mariam who closes the account and the match.
Of course, I'm making light of what Carla and Mariam do within the Next Step Foundation (HERE), which leverages the power of technology to train and upskill people from marginalized African communities, especially Persons with Disabilities
The current task that these two mighty women are wrestling with is the Upili Project. Click HERE to learn more. Go ahead, roll up your sleeves, and jump in the ring as part of their team.
Check out Carla's website 'Unapologetically Myself' HERE and her book What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms HERE.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Mindy Sheier.
I titled the show "Life's a Road Trip" because as I've matured and dealt with suddenly becoming a quad amputee, that's how I see life. For Mindy, designing clothing for such movers and shakers as INC and Saks Fifth Avenue had her on cruise control.
And it just so happened that her son, Oliver, who is on his own Muscular Dystrophy road trip, wanted to wear jeans like everyone else but nothing on the market met his needs. It didn't take much for Mindy to shift gears into the adaptive clothing market.
Yes, Oliver got his jeans and the disability community received a fashion advocate who is blowing the doors off the clothing industry with her company, the Runway of Dreams Foundation (Link).
Mindy isn't afraid to rev the engines of society either. Check out "Time to Adapt" HERE.
She also hits high gear with "Getting Intimate with Disability" HERE.
Oh, yeah, Mindy has another means for moving the speedometer, visit GAMUT Management HERE.
That "Whoosh!" that just passed you was Mindy Scheier.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is John Griffin.
This was one of those shows that veered in an unexpected direction -- for the better!
As we settled into our seats some 1,000 miles apart for the interview, I dropped the first topic on John and we were off with no holds barred.
A quote "Disability isn't about pity, it's about paychecks" from one of his podcasts got us going on what could have been two guys literally on a road trip or sitting in a pub.
This was a two-pint discussion that would have called for at least a third as we continued our discussion after the recording ended.
After listening to the show, take a gander at the episodes of John's Accessibility Interview Series HERE.
During our discussion, we looked at one of John's shows that features the future of wheelchairs, the Revolve Air Wheelchair. You really should take a look HERE.
Digging into John's background, I came across a book that he wrote titled This'll Be The Day That I Die which is a Sci-Fi straight from the early 1960s black & white television show, The Twilight Zone, or the 1950s radio classic X Minus One. Interested? Pick it up on Amazon HERE.
Perhaps one day John and I will have another discussion -- this time in a pub!
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Jordan Roman.
So, answer the question: 'Raise your hand if you need a hug!' Okay, you're at work and you're afraid a colleague may think you're weird. Or you're listening in your car and sitting at a light that just turned green.
There! In your head, you raised your hand. Who doesn't need a hug, right?
Jordan is the writer, director, producer, and chief bottle washer of the short film, Cuddle Buddies. As I state more than once during the show, take 15 minutes for yourself and click HERE to watch for free.
Interesting stuff, huh?
Want to learn more about cuddle therapy? Click HERE to check it out. Need more information? Click HERE for a report from Newsweek.
Are you ready to possibly book a cuddle session? Go to CuddleList.com HERE. [No, they're not paying me -- but they can!]
Cuddle Buddies is what drew my interest in having Jordan on the show. But I don't want it lost that Jordan is a fantastic director and screenwriter who's at the front end of his film career. More of his work can be found HERE and HERE.
Remember the name: Jordan Roman.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's Guest is Meg O'Connell.
The title for this episode was obvious. They're Meg's words. In fact, the statement is what spurred me to invite Meg to record an episode. Originally, the title was going to include the term "Common sense" because that term kept coming up in our discussion, but I chose the more impactful road.
So let's talk about common sense for a moment... The disability community has been screaming for common sense. The ability to have access for those in wheelchairs makes common sense. Braille on paper money so the blind can better determine the denomination of each bill should be common sense. For those with hearing loss to be included through proper captioning makes common sense.
Boy, we got into some topics.
Here's a quote from Meg: ”I say it all the time! Disability Inclusion is NOT just a diversity issue, it is big business. Are you tapping into the $13 Trillion market?”
I know what you're thinking: That should be common sense!
Need more common sense? Visit the Global Disability Inclusion website (Link).
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
Today's guest is Isaac Harvey.
My first encounter with Isaac was via a few casual posts that he made on LinkedIn as he shared his encounters. Then I noticed his posts change, both in tone (slightly) and topic (more pointed). It was here that I contacted him to be on Life's a Road Trip.
With every new show and every guest, I find that my direction has changed to that of joining the call for the disability community to shake things up. To do this, leaders must rise to lead the way.
I view Isaac as being on the tip of the spear. And though he shares his fatigue at times, he seems to gain strength and is more and more ready to embrace his forward position.
Listen to what he has to say. Read what he shares. He is an unabashed voice that is needed.
Check out Wheels and Wheelchairs HERE.
Watch the YouTube video "Now I'm using my hours to help someone else"HERE.
Yes... that is Isaac with King Charles!
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Kale Sudhoff.
It took just a few episodes for me to notice that almost every guest has a thread that runs through their early life right up to where they are now.
The exception with Kale is that he is still a teenager -- a high school senior!
But as you listen to our discussion, you too will see the thread that runs through him: That of a caring and empathetic person well beyond his years.
Kale uses his talent for drawing and storytelling to pull you in as a reader. More than likely, it would be as a reader of bedtime stories to your young children.
Go ahead and take a look at his most recent book, Danny and Kevin Conquer Camping HERE. And be sure to scan his first book in the series, Danny the Duck Heads South HERE.
I think Kale is going to take that thread and run with it!
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Chris Ruden.
I was drawn to Chris as a guest because I knew that we would get along well. You see, we both understand the male ego, we draw from our time as athletes (his being current and mine from my past), and we both accept failing but not failure.
Take a look at THIS video; it's the one that I refer to in the opening. This is a great example of accepting failing but not failure. It's a human condition that truly is within all of us.
If you want more detail, pick up Chris' book, The Upper Hand, HERE.
Chris is considered a 'Motivational Speaker'. But that's just a categorization in order to set us up for what's to come. I found him to be open and honest and with no labels attached.
While listening to our discussion, take special note of Chris' greatest fear then bop over to his WEBSITE and check out the photo of Chris in the header to witness what may be his greatest accomplishment by openly exposing what he hid for so many years. A 600-pound deadlift was nothing compared to this.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Nate Methot
May is National ALS Awareness Month (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) so we're ahead of the calendar, but I couldn't wait to drop this episode any longer. You see, Nate is now in his second decade of dealing with this debilitating disease and his message is too important to hold.
As you'll hear in this episode, we read parts of his book, A Life Derailed: My Journey with ALS (Link), Nate's speech has been affected -- something he unnecessarily apologizes for -- but we wanted him to read certain passages so you know it comes from his heart.
I want you, the listener, to get the full scope of Nate's travel from bouncing quarters before his diagnosis (Video -- Nate's in there!) to Nate getting out of bed as the disease progressed (Video).
Even as he has been weakened by ALS, Nate has become stronger. Few of us have the strength to share so much with others. It's a human condition that we so often overlook.
I was honored to be a part of this recording.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Jackie Schuld.
Jackie was gracious to do the interview while she was in the process of moving from the Southwest to the Northeast. No, it wasn't while she was driving a U-Haul truck along an interstate highway.
Jackie is our third guest to discuss autism. Her view is a bit different as she uses art to work with newly identified autistics and those who suspect they might be autistic.
Her objective is to help autistics who felt broken their entire lives, who experienced a lifetime of feeling too much and yet not enough, or who couldn't learn to trust themselves, because they believed something was wrong with them.
To learn more about Jackie's methods, visit her website HERE. Many of her clients live around the country and work remotely with her.
Jackie is also an author. Check out Grief is a Mess.
By the way, the photo is of Jackie standing in front of my favorite work of her art.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Cam Beaudoin.
After I read Cam's post and image of what I call the "Gap Kid", I immediately went into research mode, and within a few minutes, I messaged him to request an interview.
But that post only scratched the surface of Cam's work. Like many entrepreneurs, it was an unintended adventure while at corporate giant IBM that led him to his company, Accelerated Accessibility (check it out HERE) where his mission is to make technology more accessible for all users.
The following quote from Cam should give you a good idea of what he's all about: “Together, we can drive the Disability Inclusion Revolution”
Oh... In case you're wondering what a11y means: Count the number of letters between the A and Y in the word 'accessibility. Cam wears his sense of purpose on his head.
The Gap Kid
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Shannon Hartinger
Being a soccer rat myself, Shannon and I agreed from the outset to avoid 'talking soccer'. This was very difficult for us as the boys Wisconsin State League team that I coach begins training this week and Shannon's high school girls team at Loyola Academy has been playing matches.
For this episode, we talked about the TOPSoccer program that is sponsored by US Youth Soccer. TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities offered only through local US Youth Soccer-affiliated soccer clubs. The program provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive.
If you know of someone who's interested or would benefit -- or for clubs that would like to bring TOPSoccer into their program -- visit their website HERE. As a soccer person, I'm proud to know that the game I love is available to more people.
Check out the brief video HERE to learn more!
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Denis Boudreau.
From the beard to the tat, Denis is what he says he is, straightforward.
Denis knows his material, the ins and outs of inclusion, and he gives a damn.
Listen to Denis and you'll come away with a much better understanding of what it's like for those who need accommodation and accessibility when attending a lecture, meeting, or visiting what may be your website.
Denis has a way of breaking things down to what should or should have been 'simple'. To get a taste of this, pick up his book, The Inclusive Speaker (Link).
Or take his "How inclusive do you think you are as a speaking professional?" quiz (Link). Visit his website to learn more or even reach out to Denis (Link) -- he's easy to talk with.
We should all come away after listening to Denis asking "How inclusive am I?"
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Lori Frisher.
The title of a podcast needs to have a hook. 'The Who' has the song, Athena. But that isn't the hook I was looking for. So I Googled "badass Greek goddess" and Athena came up. Bingo!
Lori is a badass fighter. She's a disrupter, which is where I've been driving the podcast for the past month.
During the show, we talked about her receiving Cochlear Implants. Not about her being the first to do so, but about how hearing impacted her life. Lori mentioned the sounds of water and coins being dropped onto a countertop. Think about those sounds for a moment... She made me appreciate my sense of hearing -- especially since I lack the sense of touch.
I pointed out my theory that before the implants, her experiences of missed inside jokes, being a collegiate athlete, and working with Walter Cronkite combined to form a thread that led her to her company, Ready Or Not! Media.
No, the ! isn't a typo -- it's intentional. And it doesn't surprise me that this modern-day Athena uses it to send a message.
As I do with all my guests, Lori and I talked more after the recording stopped. As we said our goodbyes, I told her to "Kick some ass!". She immediately responded, "You do the same!". We both will continue doing so.
Miss-Adventures: Guide to Ultimate Empowerment for Women
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Sandie Roberts
Right from the start, I knew Sandie was deeper than her good looks as a model. Just four years into being a full-fledged member of the disability community, she's breaking the glass walls and the glass ceiling that surrounds this much-suppressed group. This is evident from the heading of her website: "Rolling into confidence, let’s create the life we deserve!"
Sandie uses her platform as a model to bring "normalcy" to the labels that society places upon us. She is a positive role model rather than a positive rolling model (sorry for the corny joke).
As I strive to point this show in a new direction, Sandie and I discussed the guilt that comes with becoming disabled as an adult: The misdirected guilt of being a burden upon our family.
Sandie was also comfortable discussing her recent online encounters with some very troubling people. You can read about that HERE on BBC News.
It's real, so let's talk about it.
Sandie's cover photo is by Deb Burrows
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Deirdre Fagan
loveforward is both a personal statement for the way Deirdre lives her life and a suggestion to the rest of us to do the same. Simple, isn't it?
Deirdre is the third author to appear on Life's a Road Trip, but she is the first poet as well. Listen to her read Most of the Days of the Week, or read it HERE. Pick up The Grief Eater or grab her husband, Bob's book, After Thunder, a courageous collection of poetry as he succumbed to ALS -- Lou Gehrig's Disease. Since this episode first aired, Deirdre's last book, Phantom Limbs, has been published.
Speaking of Bob's ordeal with ALS, you must purchase Find a Place for Me, Deirdre's raw and very personal account of Bob's dealings through his bout with the illness that he knew would eventually kill him. It is pointed and she doesn't shy away from the truth -- oftentimes with humor. It certainly had me holding my laughter as best I could during one of Deirdre's readings.
For those who are interested in learning more about the man, Lou Gehrig, read the story behind the movie, Pride of the Yankees. You'll have no problem finding it online to watch. You can watch Gehrig's famous farewell speech HERE.
This episode is perhaps a shift in the tone of the Life's a Road Trip podcast. Let's be real. Let's face life with a smile.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Becca Lory Hector.
I was very happy to have Becca on to discuss her dealing with autism. This allowed me to add another layer to my first show with Mark Harris who provided us with a baseline about autism through his short story, Mute, and the video series that he produced for parents, Interacting with Autism: A video-based resource.
Becca is totally in -- mind, body, and soul -- to help those who sit on the autistic spectrum. Be it her personal website, her training company, Truly Inclusive Leadership, or her podcast, The Info Dump Files, you'll find Becca reaching out her helping hand.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Anessa Powell. It seems the more shows that I do, the more I'm pulled into the much-maligned and severely underrepresented disability community. This episode added fuel to my fire.
Anessa Powell is well ahead of me on this front. I found her to be a warrior when it comes to supporting disabled folks who are searching for a career -- not just a job.
Listening to her talk about her company, AllAbility Recruiting, will rev you up as well. She is passionate about helping employers understand the rules and nuances of the hiring process for those with disabilities while supporting those who need accommodation in the workplace or are better prepared for an interview.
Perhaps the best way to summarize Anessa's work is the trademarked statement found in the header of the AllAbility website: Leave No Ability Behind
Anessa's website is available HERE.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Amy Cook.
I first came across Amy's work by reading Clipping In, a story that pleasantly ties together portions of her life that many of us can relate to and all of us will enjoy. It was here that I learned about Amy's condition, Central Muscular Hypotonia -- Think Cerebral Palsy
Next, Amy takes us along on her runs through the area where she lives in New York City. What makes the imagery of Spring Picture Roll, 2020 unique is that it is during the dark days of COVID. My favorite line and one that represents her vision so well is "The sky, peppered with Bob Ross clouds, is at its most outgoing cyan."
Finally, Amy reads The Shadow Child for us. It's the preamble that pulled me in: "This is a piece about my family's history in relation to the Holocaust and secrets that were kept from children." It's eye-opening, and it offers yet another layer to what we know about the Holocaust.
Care to read more of Amy's work? Visit her website and enjoy.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Shuan Butcher.
Having been an able-bodied athlete before I became a quad amputee, I went into this interview with Shuan already having an understanding of the importance of sport. To me, soccer was my art and I assume that the same love for one's sport is in every adaptive athlete.
Discussing Shuan's work with Move United, Move United Magazine, and the Redefining Disability Podcast, solidified my belief that an athlete is an athlete, whether he or she is 'whole' or has a disability.
Shuan is a rare individual in that he 'fits' his various roles -- or perhaps they fit him. After learning about his experiences as a background actor in such hit shows as Netflix’s House of Cards and AMC’s Making the Mob, I'll be watching for him on my television screen in the future.
For more about Shuan, visit his website.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com
This is an encore episode as I focus on my teaching.
This week's guest is Becky Kekula.
The single sentence definition of the word 'Inclusion' is "The action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure". Now let's expand that a bit: "The practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups". That's better, but not quite there yet.
Becky looks at Inclusion differently. In my view, she shifts the light from the term being a political volleyball to being educational. As I found on her website, Becky "strives to teach acceptance while educating and motivating all people to establish goals and work hard to accomplish them." This is part of Becky's mission during her more than 400 speaking engagements.
Becky was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism. Unknown to me, there are more than 300 types of dwarfism. Being a proud 'Little Person', she uses her stature to present a bold platform from which she spouts in support of education rather than confrontation -- though she's not afraid to share her humanity about those who are immature in accepting of those that look different from their morning mirror.
Care to experience Becky's candid views? Watch her TEDx Talk appropriately titled "Disability is Not the Problem... Fear is the Problem" HERE. Go ahead. You probably need a bit of an adjustment in your perspective. We all do from time to time.
Of course, in preparing for this interview, I watched Becky's presentation more than once. Two statements stood out to me:
“Fear is a product of misunderstanding”
“I continue to believe that despite what others may say no goal or dream of mine is impossible”
Bravo, Becky. Bravo!
Want to learn more? Visit her website HERE.
One last thing: Watch for a book titled Just Call Me Becky which is part on paper and part heading in that direction.
This is an encore production while I focus on my teaching. Enjoy!
This week's guest is Chris Kuell.
Chris is a blind writer, editor, and advocate for the blind. He edits The Federationist, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. Chris is also the president of his local NFB chapter, serves on the NFB of Conn., board of directors, as well as on the board of directors of BESB, the Connecticut state agency for the blind. His articles, essays, and stories have appeared in several literary, and some not-so-literary publications.
The cover shot for this episode tells you a lot about Chris -- He has an edge about him. As I refer to more than once during our conversation, I hope to tip a pint or two with Chris and talk about Life.
As you will learn from this episode, Chris provides a unique perspective on writing and I believe is on track to become an industry-published novel with his story, Rub It In (Love the title!), in which he has returned to the revision stage. Chris is using his self-published book, Morris, to test the waters of publishing.
Also in his stable of projects is the online magazine, Breath & Shadow, in which Chis is the Editor In Chief. A collection of the best stories from Breath & Shadow is found in Dozen, for which proceeds go to running the magazine.
To learn more about Chris Kuell, visit his website.
This is an encore production while I focus on my teaching. Enjoy!
I had the honor of hosting Mark Jonathan Harris, winner of three Academy Awards for his work on a variety of important documentaries that present the stark reality of such topics as post-WWII and the events that led to the creation of the State of Israel (The Long Way Home) and the British rescue operation known as the Kindertransport, which saved the lives of over 10,000 Jewish and other children from Nazi Germany by transporting them to Great Britain (Into the Arms of Strangers). But it was his short story, Mute, that drew me to contact Mark.
Mute is the fictional story of how a father coped with learning that his toddler son, Samual, was autistic. In Mark's story, the father and his wife first struggle with not only the reality of autism but with finding no clear explanation or direction. A pivot point comes in the father's observation that Sammy is settled by the story of Curious George along with a stuffed monkey that his father gifts him.
After tiring of running into brick wall after brick wall without finding any sense of direction from professionals, the father decides to trust his observations of his son and his comfort with monkeys. Read Mute, I know that you will find this story worthy of becoming a film. I hope you make it so, Mark.
To learn more about autism, visit Interacting with Autism: A video-based resource. Visit Mark's personal website to find out more about his award-winning films and stories.
This week's guest is Rachael Mole.
As always, I do a deep dive into learning about my guests. Each of Rachael's layers had the same keyword: Energy.
And like all of my guests, Rachael cares. She cares about those she serves. And she cares about the disabled community.
To avoid using the label of age, Rachael has done a great deal in a short time. Where she stands now is as the creator and head of Moleworks Solutions Ltd. (Link).
By the way, Rachael's power source is a hybrid -- her battery recharges as she helps others. Keep on keep'n on, Rachael!
This week's guest is Puneet Singhal.
Puneet is a stammerer and much of our discussion was about his work with this portion of the disabled community. Thinking back to our discussion, not once did he stammer. Not once.
Now, check out this video of a presentation Puneet gave as he talked about his life with stammering. He's calm, cool, and collected.
But he's more than this. See his LinkedIn profile (Link) and scan down the list. And then there is his work with the worldwide organization, Billion Strong (Link).
No, Puneet can't be tagged with a single label. Nor can he be labeled as wearing one hat -- he's a man of many.
This week's guest is Carrie Davis.
“Is this it? She’s just missing her hand? Oh, we got this” That was Carrie's mother's reaction to being told that her newborn daughter was born with one hand.
The tone of that statement carries on in Carrie even today. It makes me think of the cover guy for Mad Magazine, Alfred E. Neuman, who was known for the phrase "What, me worry?"
Worrying about being disabled is not in Carrie's vernacular.
Carrie is one of those people that fits her job. You see, she is Vice President of Patient Experience at Hanger Clinic, the prosthetic giant of North America. The title says it all and it's the experience of each and every patient that drives her.
To learn more about what Carrie and Hanger do, visit AMPOWER (Link) and International Patient Experience (Link).
This week's guest is Krystian Shaw.
Krystian actually reached out to me about coming on the show so, of course, I had to check him out.
Each and every time I opened a link to an article after Googling him, there was nothing but a positive attitude that came across. This made me pause and think how, during these times filled with so much negativity, I have become more cynical about the world than I may have been at any time in my life.
Go ahead, listen to this episode, and try not to come away at least a bit less cynical yourself. That's the power of Krystian's message.
His attitude makes me think of the song "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFarren. Of course, I'll be head-bopping to that tune inside my head all day.
May Krystian's positive attitude rub off on all of us!
Check out Krystian's "Kamloops Self Advocate Newsletter" HERE
Watch a video to learn more about Krystian's positive approach to life HERE
This week's guest is Jeremy Andrew Davis.
I found Jeremy to be as diverse as the multiple characters that he plays in his cameos.
The description “I help people laugh at themselves and cry for others, cast off their troubles and find their joy, see the invisible and hear silence." that Jeremy uses hits home and provides viewers with enough of a tease to learn more.
I'll stop taking up your time... Have a listen to this episode then check out Jeremy's work. Be ready to laugh and be ready to think.
https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyandrewdavis
https://www.instagram.com/jeremyandrewdavis/
https://www.facebook.com/thejeremyandrewdavis
https://www.youtube.com/@jeremyandrewdavis
This week's guest is Debrah Ruh.
The episode opens with "When told by ‘experts’ that her daughter, Sara, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, would be lucky to push shopping carts at the local grocery store, Debra..."
Listen to the show then circle back to finish the intro with more force. Perhaps only the term "force" would suffice as the title. Debra Ruh is certainly a force -- a force the disability community needs.
The more I do Life's a Road Trip the deeper my own interest grows because with every guest, the more I get behind this movement.
As Debra states more than once, we are in the midst of change. Yes, we are.
Do you want to learn more? Check these sites:
Ruh Global
Billion Strong
The Valuable 500
This week's guest is Justin Jesudas.
As a good host should, I arrive at the online studio well in advance of my guests. It has nothing to do with tidying things but more to do with allowing my PC to get rolling.
And as luck has it, I always have time to turn on some tunes courtesy of Pandora. On the day of my recording with Justin, the first song that started pouring through my headphones was Time to Move On by Tom Petty on the Wildflowers album.
The opening stanza goes like this:
It's time to move on, it's time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It's time to move on, time to get going
As I was reviewing my notes for Justin's show, it struck me that Petty's words fit the interview that I imagined.
As you'll find in our discussion, Justin doesn't let grass grow under his feet or the wheels of his wheelchair. With him, it's always time to move on, time to get going.
Okay, Justin's always on the move. So what?
First, consider that he has won 18 gold medals in swimming. Next, consider his work with the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (LINK). Then there's his crowning achievement: His two little kids.
Oh, did I mention that Justin is a quadriplegic?
Keep on keepin' on, Justin!
This week's guest is Ryan Wilson.
I never intend to find guests for the show. Instead, they tend to find me. For example, I first came across Ryan after reading about Team Trust Productions. It was the name that spurred my interest. A company with the term 'Trust' in it is laying it out there and can open itself to criticism. Ryan heads the company so I needed to learn about him.
After reading "I created Team Trust Productions to help elevate stories, people and organizations that NEED to be known, heard and felt. We want to help connect people with the entities, organizations and resources they deserve to grow and flourish." I was hooked and reached out to Ryan.
I've been landing guests that have something to say within the disability community. Ryan speaks through video production. But he's also fun to banter with.
Oh... Why the reference to Shaquille O'Neil? Listen to the interview and you'll find a definite thread that ties Shaq and Ryan together. It was this thread that led to Team Trust Productions.
Learn about Team Truster HERE. The free disability marketing guide HERE.
This week's guest is Pradeep Rao.
Quick... What's happening on the 3rd of December, 2023? Yes, it's the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). But think a little higher... Much higher. That is the day Pradeep and a group of disabled skydivers will jump from an airplane to form the world's largest free-fall formation of skydivers with disabilities. The event will reach 45 Million targeted viewers
Have you ever seen someone in a wheelchair skydive? Check it out HERE.
Click HERE to learn about the World Association of Skydivers with Disabilities (WASD).
Mark your calendar!
This week's guest is Meryl Evans.
It was the statement "Progress Over Perfection" that she proudly wears that made me pause. It didn't take long before I opened another window or two on my PC to start digging into Meryl and what she does on behalf of those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
As the show moves forward, we're more focused on guests that aren't afraid to stand up and speak out when it comes to shining a positive light on the disability community. Meryl definitely fits that mold.
Want to see an example of Meryl's message? Click HERE to watch her TEDx presentation. I promise that she'll make you think. You need to watch her talk on automated captions with Thomas Logan HERE. Interested in having Meryl speak to your company? Go HERE.
Progress over perfection... Listen to Meryl and come away with a better understanding of how important and simple that statement is.
This week's guest is Steve Wright.
Steve is a respected city planner who isn't afraid to speak his mind when it comes to designing or retrofitting cities so they are welcoming to all -- including members of the disabled community.
When I first came across Steve, it was easy to see that he is eagerly searching for the 'Inclusive City'.
Yes, he realizes there is no Yellow Brick Road to guide him. But when it comes to shining a light on what is missing, he takes a step back and ponders, and then recommends new ways to make our cities more functional.
Steve was easy to interview and we shared a few chuckles. He was the comfortable type that has been the norm for me as the host. I hope you enjoy our open discussion.
Below are just a few of Steve's articles. They're an interesting read.
Everyone Benefits From Inclusion HERE
When Inclusive...Isn't HERE
Why Universal Design is critical to CNU HERE
This week's guests are Carla Birnberg & Mariam Ndegwa.
Baron Von Raschke, Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, and The Crusher. Those were some of the wrestling characters that we watched on Sunday mornings before church when I was a kid. But they have nothing on the tag team of Carla and Mariam.
First in the ring is Carla who goes by the nickname of Chief Storyteller. It's her job to make the initial contact with possible donors before she tags off to Mariam who closes the account and the match.
Of course, I'm making light of what Carla and Mariam do within the Next Step Foundation (HERE), which leverages the power of technology to train and upskill people from marginalized African communities, especially Persons with Disabilities
The current task that these two mighty women are wrestling with is the Upili Project. Click HERE to learn more. Go ahead, roll up your sleeves, and jump in the ring as part of their team.
Check out Carla's website 'Unapologetically Myself' HERE.
This week's guest is Mindy Sheier.
I titled the show "Life's a Road Trip" because as I've matured and dealt with suddenly becoming a quad amputee, that's how I see life. For Mindy, designing clothing for such movers and shakers as INC and Saks Fifth Avenue, had her on cruise control.
And it just so happened that her son, Oliver, who is on his own Muscular Dystrophy road trip, wanted to wear jeans like everyone else but nothing on the market met his needs. It didn't take much for Mindy to shift gears into the adaptive clothing market.
Yes, Oliver got his jeans and the disability community received a fashion advocate that is blowing the doors off the clothing industry with her company, the Runway of Dreams Foundation (Link).
Mindy isn't afraid to rev the engines of society either. Check out "Time to Adapt" HERE.
She also hits high gear with "Getting Intimate with Disability" HERE.
Oh, yeah, Mindy has another means for moving the speedometer, visit GAMUT Management HERE.
That "Whoosh!" that just passed you was Mindy Scheier.
This week's guest is John Griffin.
This was one of those shows that veered in an unexpected direction -- for the better!
Digging into John, I came across a book that he wrote titled This'll Be The Day That I Die which is a Sci-Fi straight from the early 1960s black & white television show, The Twilight Zone, or the 1950s radio classic X Minus One. Interested? Pick it up on Amazon HERE.
As we settled into our seats some 1,000 miles apart for the interview, I dropped the first topic on John and we were off with no holds barred.
His quote "Disability isn't about pity, it's about paychecks" from one of his podcasts got us going on what could have been two guys literally on a road trip or sitting in a pub.
This was a two-pint discussion that would have called for at least a third once the recording ended.
After listening to the show, take a gander at the episodes of John's Accessibility Interview Series HERE.
During our discussion, we looked at one of John's shows that features the future of wheelchairs, the Revolve Air Wheelchair. You must take a look HERE.
Perhaps one day John and I will have another discussion -- this time in a pub!
Today's guest is Jordan Roman.
So, answer the question: 'Raise your hand if you need a hug!' Okay, you're at work and you're afraid a colleague may think you're weird. Or you're listening in your car and sitting at a light that just turned green.
There! In your head, you raised your hand. Who doesn't need a hug, right?
Jordan is the writer, director, producer, and chief bottle washer of the short film, Cuddle Buddies. As I state more than once during the show, take 15 minutes for yourself and click HERE to watch for free.
Interesting stuff, huh?
Interested in learning more about cuddle therapy? Click HERE to check it out. Need more information? Click HERE for a report from Newsweek.
Are you ready to possibly book a cuddle session? Go to CuddleList.com HERE. [No, they're not paying me -- but they can!]
Cuddle Buddies is what drew my interest in having Jordan on the show. But I don't want it lost that Jordan is a fantastic director and screenwriter that is at the front end of his career in film. More of his work can be found HERE.
Remember the name: Jordan Roman.
This week's Guest is Meg O'Connell.
The title for this episode was obvious. They're Meg's words. In fact, the statement is what spurred me into inviting Meg to record an episode. Originally, the title was going to include the term "Common sense" because that term kept coming up in our discussion, but I chose the more impactful road.
So let's talk about common sense for a moment... The disability community has been screaming for common sense. The ability to have access for those in wheelchairs makes common sense. Braile on paper money so the blind can better determine the denomination of each bill should be common sense. For those with hearing loss to be included through proper captioning makes common sense.
Boy, we got into some topics.
Here's a quote from Meg: ”I say it all the time! Disability Inclusion is NOT just a diversity issue, it is big business. Are you tapping into the $13 Trillion market?”
I know what you're thinking: That should be common sense!
Need more common sense? Visit the Global Disability Inclusion website (Link).
Today's guest is Isaac Harvey.
My first encounter with Isaac was via a few casual posts that he made on LinkedIn as he shared his encounters. Then I noticed his posts change, both in tone (slightly) and topic (more pointed). It was here that I contacted him to be on Life's a Road Trip.
With every new show and every guest, I find that my direction has changed to that of joining the call for the disability community to shake things up. To do this, leaders must rise to lead the way.
I view Isaac as being on the tip of the spear. And though he shares his fatigue at times, he seems to gain strength and is more and more ready to embrace his forward position.
Listen to what he has to say. Read what he shares. He is an unabashed voice that is needed.
Check out Wheels and Wheelchairs HERE.
Watch the YouTube video "Now I'm using my hours to help someone else" HERE.
This week's guest is Brooke Millhouse.
'Disabled & Proud' is not only the title of this episode but it's the title of Brooke's podcast and how I found her to be during our discussion.
I must admit that I hope a little of that pride rubbed off on me.
Let's cut to the chase: Click HERE to take a stroll through all of her episodes. Brooke recently hit the one-year mark -- a feat that few podcasters can claim.
From 'Shouting Out About Discrimination' to 'Telling My Story with Photography' to 'The In's and Out's of Disability & Sex' you'll come away applauding Brooke's unabashed ability to speak frankly and honestly and her ability to get her guests to do the same.
Brooke shared her future aspirations for herself and her show during our banter. In my opinion, she is talented enough and strong enough to make them happen.
This week's guest is Kale Sudhoff.
It took just a few episodes for me to notice that almost every guest has a thread that runs through their early life right up to where they are now.
The exception with Kale is that he is still a teenager -- a high school senior!
But as you listen to our discussion, you too will see the thread that runs through him: That of a caring and empathetic person well beyond his years.
Kale uses his talent for drawing and storytelling to pull you in as a reader. More than likely, it would be as a reader of bedtime stories to your young children.
Go ahead and take a look at his most recent book, Danny and Kevin Conquer Camping HERE. And be sure to scan his first book in the series, Danny the Duck Heads South HERE.
I think Kale is going to take that thread and run with it!
This week's guest is Chris Ruden.
I was drawn to Chris as a guest because I knew that we would get along well. You see, we both understand the male ego, we draw from our time as athletes (his being current and mine from my past), and we both accept failing but not failure.
Take a look at THIS video; it's the one that I refer to in the opening. This is a great example of accepting failing but not failure. It's a human condition that truly is within all of us.
If you want more detail, pick up Chris' book, The Upper Hand, HERE.
Chris is considered a 'Motivational Speaker'. But that's just a categorization in order to set us up for what's to come. I found him to be open and honest and with no labels attached.
While listening to our discussion, take special note of Chris' greatest fear then bop over to his WEBSITE and check out the photo of Chris in the header to witness what may be his greatest accomplishment by openly exposing what he hid for so many years. A 600-pound deadlift was nothing compared to this.
This week's guest is Nate Methot
With May being National ALS Awareness Month (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease), the timing of having Nate on the show could not have been better. You see, Nate is now in his second decade of dealing with this debilitating disease.
As you'll hear in this episode, we read parts of his book, A Life Derailed: My Journey with ALS (Link), Nate's speech has been affected -- something he unnecessarily apologizes for. But we wanted him to read certain passages so you know it comes from his heart.
I want you, the listener, to get the full scope of Nate's travel from bouncing quarters before his diagnosis (Video -- Nate's in there!) to Nate getting out of bed as the disease progressed (Video).
Even as he has been weakened by ALS, Nate has become stronger. Few of us have the strength to share so much with others. It's a human condition that we so often overlook.
I was honored to be a part of this recording.
This week's guest is Jackie Schuld.
Jackie was gracious to do the interview while she was in the process of moving from the Southwest to the Northeast. No, it wasn't while she was driving a U-Haul truck along an interstate highway.
Jackie is our third guest to discuss autism. Her view is a bit different as she uses art to work with newly identified autistics and those who suspect they might be autistic.
Her objective is to help autistics who felt broken their entire lives, who experienced a lifetime of feeling too much and yet not enough, or who couldn't learn to trust themselves, because they believed something was wrong with them.
To learn more about Jackie's methods, visit her website HERE. Many of her clients live around the country and work remotely with her.
Jackie is also an author. Check out Grief is a Mess.
By the way, the photo is of Jackie standing in front of my favorite work of her art.
This week's guest is Cam Beaudoin.
After I read Cam's post and image of what I call the "Gap Kid", I immediately went into research mode, and within a few minutes, I messaged him to request an interview.
But that post only scratched the surface of Cam's work. Like many entrepreneurs, it was an unintended adventure while at corporate giant, IBM, that led him to his company, Accelerated Accessibility (check it out HERE).
The following quote from Cam should give you a good idea of what he's all about: “Together, we can drive the Disability Inclusion Revolution”
Oh... In case you're wondering what a11y means: Count the number of letters between the A and Y in the word 'accessibility. Cam wears his sense of purpose on his head.
The Gap Kid
This week's guest is Travis Davis.
The title sets up the show quite well. Travis is a teacher, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and disability advocate.
Heck, I just checked on his LinkedIn page to find him reference the upcoming United Cerebral Palsy Conference, his latest podcast episode, a biking program in his hometown of Albuquerque, and the list goes on and on.
It came easy for me to select topics to discuss with Travis. He's always on the lookout for something to share with others -- especially within the disability community -- and he's easy to talk with.
It doesn't surprise me that everything about him is capsulized into one website HERE. Travis is certainly a Mr. Do-it-all.
This week's guest is Shannon Hartinger
Being a soccer rat myself, Shannon and I agreed from the outset to avoid 'talking soccer'. This was very difficult for us as the boys Wisconsin state league team that I coach begins training this week and Shannon's high school girls team at Loyola Academy has been playing matches.
For this episode, we talked about the TOPSoccer program that is sponsored by US Youth Soccer. TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities offered only through local US Youth Soccer-affiliated soccer clubs. The program provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive.
If you know of someone that is interested or would benefit -- or for clubs that would like to bring TOPSoccer into their program -- visit their website HERE. As a soccer person, I'm proud to know that the game I love is available to more people.
This week's guest is Denis Boudreau.
From the beard to the tat, Denis is what he says he is, straightforward.
Denis knows his material, the ins and outs of inclusion, and he gives a damn.
Listen to Denis and you'll come away with a much better understanding of what it's like for those that need accommodation and accessibility when attending a lecture, meeting, or visiting what may be your website.
Denis has a way of breaking things down to what should or should have been 'simple'. To get a taste of this, pick up his book, The Inclusive Speaker (Link).
Or take his "How inclusive do you think you are as a speaking professional?" quiz (Link). Visit his website to learn more or even reach out to Denis (Link) -- he's easy to talk with.
We should all come away after listening to Denis asking "How inclusive am I?"
This week's guest is Lori Frisher.
The title of a podcast needs to have a hook. 'The Who' has the song, Athena. But that isn't the hook I was looking for. So I Googled "badass greek goddess" and Athena came up. Bingo!
Lori is a badass fighter. She's a disrupter, which is where I've been driving the podcast for the past month.
During the show, we talked about her receiving Cochlear Implants. Not about her being the first to do so, but about how hearing impacted her life. Lori mentioned the sounds of water and of coins being dropped onto a countertop. Think about those sounds for a moment... She made me appreciate my sense of hearing -- especially since I lack the sense of touch.
I pointed out my theory that the before the implants, her experiences of missed inside jokes, being a collegiate athlete, and working with Walter Cronkite combined to form a thread that led her to her company, Ready Or Not! Media.
No, the ! isn't a typo -- it's intentional. And it doesn't surprise me that this modern-day Athena uses it to send a message.
As I do with all my guests, Lori and I talked more after the recording stopped. As we said our goodbyes, I told her to "Kick some ass!". She immediately responded, "You do the same!". We both will continue doing so.
Ready Or Not! Media Training video
Miss-Adventures: Guide to Ultimate Empowerment for Women
This week's guest was Lee-Anne Reuber.
When you think of the fictional character, Don Quixote, the first image that probably pops into your mind is of a man on horseback jousting windmills. But the message of Quixote should be boiled down to this: Life is to be challenged
Lee-Anne does just that -- she challenges life.
From her early days as a young teen working with people with disabilities in a variety of capacities she fearlessly started down a path -- a path full of windmills.
From her LinkedIn image that includes the statement "#OpenToChangingThe World" to an article that painted her as a juggler while she dealt with numerous challenges to propel her forward professionally (I pictured her juggling a shape knife, an axe, and a running chain saw), I knew that I needed to have her on Life's a Road Trip.
We talked about how our current lives are a culmination of our past experiences. Lee-Anne's past experiences have led her to the windmill that now towers before her by TOTALLY changing the direction of her business.
I'll let you learn about Sekond Skin Society by listening to Lee-Anne. The new website and app are in the works as she asks you, the potential client, for your input. Go HERE to complete a survey that will give you three free weeks to try out the SSS program.
Will Lee-Anne defeat this windmill? I have no doubt that she will.
This week's guest is Sandie Roberts
Right from the start, I knew Sandie was deeper than her good looks as a model. Just four years into being a full-fledged member of the disability community, she's breaking the glass walls and the glass ceiling that surrounds this much-suppressed group. This is evident from the heading of her website: "Rolling into confidence, let’s create the life we deserve!"
Sandie uses her platform as a model to bring "normalcy" to the labels that society places upon us. She is a positive role model rather than a positive rolling model (sorry for the corny joke).
As I strive to point this show in a slightly new direction, Sandie and I discussed the guilt that comes with becoming handicapped as an adult: The misdirected guilt of being a burden upon our family.
Sandie was also comfortable discussing her recent online encounters with some very troubling people. You can read about that HERE on BBC News.
It's real, so let's talk about it.
Sandie's cover photo is by Deb Burrows
This week's guest is Deirdre Fagan
loveforward is both a personal statement for the way Deirdre lives her life and a suggestion to the rest of us to do the same. Simple, isn't it?
Deirdre is the third author to appear on Life's a Road Trip, but she is the first poet as well. Listen to her read Most of the Days of the Week, or read it HERE. Pick up The Grief Eater or grab her husband, Bob's book, After Thunder, a courageous collection of poetry as he succumbed to ALS -- Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Speaking of Bob's ordeal with ALS, you must purchase Find a Place for Me, Deirdre's raw and very personal account of Bob's dealings through his bout with the illness that he knew would eventually kill him. It is pointed and she doesn't shy away from the truth -- oftentimes with humor. It certainly had me holding my laughter as best I could during one of Deirdre's readings.
For those that are interested in learning more about the man, Lou Gehrig, read the story behind the movie, Pride of the Yankees. You'll have no problem finding it online to watch. You can watch his famous farewell speech HERE.
This episode is perhaps a shift in the tone of the Life's a Road Trip podcast. Let's be real. Let's face life with a smile.
This week's guest is Becca Lory Hector.
I was very happy to have Becca on to discuss her dealing with autism. This allowed me to add another layer to my first show with Mark Harris who provided us with a baseline about autism through his short story, Mute, and the video series that he produced for parents, Interacting with Autism: A video-based resource.
Becca is totally in -- mind, body, and soul -- to help those who sit on the autistic spectrum. Be it her personal website, her training company, Truly Inclusive Leadership, or her podcast, The Info Dump Files, you'll find Becca reaching out her helping hand.
This week's guest is Anessa Powell.
It seems the more shows that I do, the more I'm pulled into the much-maligned and severely underrepresented disability community. This episode added fuel to my fire.
Anessa Powell is well ahead of me on this front. I found her to be a warrior when it comes to supporting disabled folks that are searching for a career -- not just a job.
Listening to her talk about her company, AllAbility Recruiting, will rev you up as well. She is passionate about helping employers understand the rules and nuances of the hiring process for those with disabilities while supporting those who need accommodation in the workplace or be better prepared for an interview.
Perhaps the best way to summarize Anessa's work is the trademarked statement found in the header of the AllAbility website: Leave No Ability Behind
Anessa's website is available HERE.
What do Spin Cycling & The Holocaust have in common?
Historically, nothing. As far as creative writing goes, both are associated with short stories by my guest, Amy Cook.
I first came across Amy's work by reading Clipping In, a story that pleasantly ties together portions of her life that many of us can relate to and all of us will enjoy. It was here that I learned about Amy's condition, Central Muscular Hypotonia -- Think Cerebral Palsy
Next, Amy takes us along on her runs through the area where she lives in New York City. What makes the imagery of Spring Picture Roll, 2020 unique is that it is during the dark days of COVID. My favorite line and one that represents her vision so well is "The sky, peppered with Bob Ross clouds, is at its most outgoing cyan."
Finally, Amy reads The Shadow Child for us. It's the preamble that pulled me in: "This is a piece about my family's history in relation to the Holocaust, and secrets that were kept from children." It's eye-opening, and it offers yet another layer to what we know about the Holocaust.
Care to read more of Amy's work? Visit her website and enjoy.
What makes an adaptive athlete able to adapt?
Having been an able-bodied athlete before I became a quad amputee, I went into this interview with Shuan already having an understanding of the importance of sport. To me, soccer was my art and I assume that the same love for one's sport is in every adaptive athlete.
Discussing Shuan's work with Move United, Move United Magazine, and the Redefining Disability Podcast, solidified my belief that an athlete is an athlete, whether he or she is 'whole' or has a disability.
Shuan is a rare individual in that he 'fits' his various roles -- or perhaps they fit him. After learning about his various background roles in such hit shows as Netflix’s House of Cards and AMC’s Making the Mob, I'll be watching for him on my television screen in the future.
For more about Shuan, visit his website.
The single sentence definition of the word 'Inclusion' is "The action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure". Now let's expand that a bit: "The practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups". That's better, but not quite there yet.
Becky Kekula looks at Inclusion differently. In my view, she shifts the light from the term being a political volleyball to being educational. As I found on her website, Becky "strives to teach acceptance while educating and motivating all people to establish goals and work hard to accomplish them." This is part of Becky's mission during her more than 400 speaking engagements.
Becky was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism. Unknown to me, there are more than 300 types of dwarfism. Being a proud 'Little Person', she uses her stature to present a bold platform from which she spouts in support of education rather than confrontation -- though she's not afraid to share her humanity about those who are immature in accepting of those that look different from their morning mirror.
Care to experience Becky's candid views? Watch her TEDx Talk appropriately titled "Disability is Not the Problem... Fear is the Problem" HERE. Go ahead. You probably need a bit of an adjustment in your perspective. We all do from time to time.
Of course, in preparing for this interview, I watched Becky's presentation more than once. There are two statements that really stood out to me:
“Fear is a product of misunderstanding”
“I continue to believe that despite what others may say no goal or dream of mine is impossible”
Bravo, Becky. Bravo!
Want to learn more? Visit her personal website HERE.
One last thing: Watch for a book titled Just Call Me Becky which is part on paper and part heading in that direction.
Jonah has been creating artwork for most of his life. From kindergarten through high school, he was especially interested in drawing, taking art electives as he got older to hone his skills.
Jonah was born with Muscular Dystrophy -- a combination of genetic diseases that results in reduced muscle mass and forces him to depend on an electric wheelchair to be mobile.
Perhaps the best way to introduce this episode is to step back and allow you the listener to explore his work on your own. Enjoy!
Jonah's work is available for purchase directly from his WEBSITE.
Want to learn about his process? See it on YOUTUBE.
This week's guest is Chris Kuell. Chris is a blind writer, editor, and advocate for the blind. He edits The Federationist, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. Chris is also the president of his local NFB chapter, serves on the NFB of Conn., board of directors, as well as on the board of directors of BESB, the Connecticut state agency for the blind. His articles, essays, and stories have appeared in a number of literary, and some not-so-literary publications.
The cover shot for this episode tells you a lot about Chris -- He has an edge about him. As I refer to more than once during our conversation, I hope to tip a pint or two with Chris and talk about Life.
As you will learn from this episode, Chris provides a unique perspective on writing and I believe is on track to become an industry-published novel with his story, Rub It In (Love the title!), in which he has returned to the revision stage. Chris is using his self-published book, Morris, to test the waters of publishing.
Also in his stable of projects is the online magazine, Breath & Shadow, in which Chis is the Editor In Chief. A collection of the best stories from Breath & Shadow is found in Dozen, for which proceeds go to running the magazine.
To learn more about Chris Kuell, visit his website.
Press HERE or select Subscribe at the top of this page to find Life's a Road Trip on your favorite podcast apps. Follow us on these social media pages:
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Today, I had the honor of hosting Mark Jonathan Harris, winner of three Academy Awards for his work on a variety of important documentaries that present the stark reality of such topics as post-WWII and the events that led to the creation of the State of Israel (The Long Way Home) and the British rescue operation known as the Kindertransport, which saved the lives of over 10,000 Jewish and other children from Nazi Germany by transporting them to Great Britain (Into the Arms of Strangers). But it was his short story, Mute, that drew me to contact Mark.
Mute is the fictional story of how a father coped with learning that his toddler son, Samual, was autistic. In Mark's story, the father and his wife first struggle with not only the reality of autism but with finding no clear explanation or direction. A pivot point comes in the father's observation that Sammy is settled by the story of Curious George along with a stuffed monkey that his father gifts him.
After tiring of running into bring wall after brick wall without finding any sense of direction from professionals, the father decides to trust his observations of his son and his comfort with monkeys. Read Mute, I know that you will find this story worthy of becoming a film. I hope you make it so, Mark.
To learn more about autism, visit Interacting with Autism; A video-based resource. Visit Mark's personal website to find out more about his award-winning films and stories.
Press HERE or select Subscribe at the top of this page to find Life's a Road Trip on your favorite podcast apps. Follow us on these social media pages:
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This episode was expected to be a test drive with my wife, Sue -- an opportunity to roll up my sleeves and play with the recording and editing software. Of course, it has all the expected mistakes of a first show. But because Sue offers the unique perspective of not being considered a member of the handicapped or disabled community and instead being married to a handicapped individual, I'm going to keep this episode posted as part of the Life's a Road Trip series. I look forward to where this podcast goes and hope you ride along with me!
Transcription:
Okay, so we're recording,
but I'm not gonna mess with it cuz Iwent to the other and I'm gonna hit start
stop. We're gonna go, we'll see if, oh,
we'll just see how many minuteswe get out of this. Okay. Okay.
Being categorized as disabled or handicapcan feel like you're moving forward in
reverse. I'm your host, Scott Martin.
Join me as they talk with my new friendsfrom this underrepresented community
about their views of life throughtheir art, poetry, sport, and writing.
Hey, life's a road trip. Hop in.Let's turn on some tunes and go.
Hi. We're with our first guestof the all time, Sue Martin,
who happens to be my wife. Uh,
she is probably the musicaficionado that, uh,
most prolific knowledgeperson of music from the
1980s that I've ever met in my life.. So I wanna touch on this. Um,
so yeah, what you're doing right now,
I want you to just be ascasual as possible. Okay?And we're not gonna be naked.
And he starts and stop. So if George,our dog starts barking or something,
just let it happen. Um, so I'm inthe basement, Sue's upstairs. So,
um,
let me just get started with CaseyKasem comes on Saturday mornings on
1 0 7 0.9, and we listento it on Tune in radio,
and we always start with me keepingmy mouth shut. I'm wondering,
waiting for you to say,oh, it's 1981. I know this,
and you're never more than one yearoff, and it just blows me away.
So I want to hear your aspect and wecan just chit chat about music from
the eighties. So I pulled upBillboard's Top 10 from every year,
starting in 1980. Oh. And yeah.So we're gonna go from there.
And let me, let me throw you this one out.
Guess who or what song this wouldblow me away if you got this,
the number one song from 1980,according to Billboard Top 10.
What was the group? I'll give.
You that. I'm supposed to just guess.
just guessing. Yeah,I see if you can guess it.
I thought you would give me ahint or a little clip, right? Let.
This song, let me think. Okay. .
Um, what the number onesong was? Uh, for 80 19 80.
- If you guess anythingin the top 10, that's great.
We'll see how many you can come up with.
Is it Air Supply?
Air supply is not it. They'renot even in the top 10. Goodness.
So am I, I can't stand here.
I'm so sorry if I offended you.
, but just,
I'm looking at this top 10 and it'sall over the place. You and I talk,
talk about this all the time.How crazy that, that decade was.
You're gonna ec I'm gonna give you.
Eclectic. Crazy. He won Runningout. Okay. Yep. Okay. All.
Right. So how about,
just throw me any bandsfrom 80 that you think
might be in the top 10. This isnine. So put your 1980 thinking tail.
Probably a bright.
Color. Well, cowboy Boy was,I think a big, like, um,
soundtrack with songs that year. Um,
yellow Xanadu was,
I think a big movie soundtrack year.
Oh, so you're getting into,you're saying that in 1980s,
especially early eighties,
a lot of movie soundtracksmade up the top tens.
Um, I don't, I know it.
The mid eighties it wasvery big. Beverly Hills cop,
um, uh, white Knights. Uh, the one with,
um, Jeffrey. Oh, he's out there working.
Dahmer? No. Is itJeffrey? He is that? Yeah.
Nikau Nikko, yeah. Point Knights,you know, stuff like that.
Well, here was the top song of1980. It was by Blonding. Oh,
call.
Me. I I was just gonna say, callme. Well, that was from American.
Gigolo . I here this,this one might blow you away.
Another brick in the wall part toofrom Pink Floyd was number two.
Okay.
See, so talk about eclectic. I'll go downthe list. This is just 1980. It just,
this is just touching on things. OliviaNewton John with magic was number three.
That's from Santa Do. Okay.
Xanadu. See, there you go.
The neighbors are outsideand he's having a royal fit.
Oh, fat he.
Outside Jack and Joan. Oh yeah. Socan I put you down for a minute?
Sure. Okay.
This is how we're probablygonna be running, uh,
shows in case we want this to be totallyunscripted because it's gonna be more
appealing to people. Right?Okay. So, hi George. How.
Are you? No, he's not in. I dunno ifthey were really out or what, but he.
He just going crazy.
So I'm just opening his vein.
treats to coax him.
And this is what we end uphaving to do so many times. Um,
it's dark outside right now.We're in, we're in the evening,
so he might not see it.
Oh. Oh, he's ponying up.Come on George. Come on.
It's cool. Crazy. Okay, we're in.
So, I'm impressed with this becauseI'm in the, in our basement.
Our house is built in 1957 and you,
this basement is all 1957 with a dry barand everything where professors used to
live and we've, we'vealways talked about, my God,
some of the parties they must have hadhere with college professors living all
around the neighborhood,probably coming down here and,
and listening to music fromearly sixties, you know,
all through the sixties. MyGod, some of the things that,
or the smoke that might actually be havebeen inhaled in here during the late
sixties. , thank goodness we movedin and there wasn't any, uh, smell of,
uh, cigarette smoke, but pot.
I wouldn't be surprised if therewere some of that, uh, in, uh,
indulge in in the late sixties,early seventies. Okay, so, uh,
Michael Jackson was topwas four. Here's one.
What are your faves Captain and10. Neil Number five. Do you, uh,
do that little thing.
That to me One more time?
Do that to me one moretime. Yes. Wow. Uh, queen.
Another one. Um, no, not another oneBites the dust. Um, don't tell me. Um,
okay. Fat Bottom Girls.
Nope.
Oh, don't tell me. Um, another oneBites the, no, it's not another one.
Bites the dust. Nope. Uhuh. Radio Gaga, .
Nope. Uh, something about a bicycle. Okay.
This is off, off that crazylittle thing called Love. Oh.
And then McCartney with coming up,uh, funky Town with Lips. Lips Inc.
That was a one hit wonder, right? Yes.Yeah. Lips Ink. Billy Joel was still hot.
So, uh, it's still rock and rollto me. Okay. And then number 10,
here you go back with yourmovie theme Bet Midler. Oh.
The rolls from the rows. Yes.
Yes. Okay. So scrolling down thelist a little bit. Um, you know,
I just wanna find out, because you hadmentioned it. How eclectic is this is?
So, 1981 had leading offwith, uh, Kim Kanes. Oh.
Betty Davis. I song.
Very good. Then DianaRoss and Lionel Richie.
Endless Love.
Yep. Kenny Rogers.
Just Kenny Rogers.
Jess Kenny Rogers Lady. Yes.
That was written by JohnLennon, Lionel Richie.
Oh, that's right. Yeah. They did asong together once they did, I believe.
Mm-hmm. . Yes. Idon't, I'm asking the wrong person.
I'm gonna seem stupid. Um, John Lennon.
Um, just like starting over or woman.
Yes. You're rolling. RickSpringfield. You're man.
Uh, don't talk tostrangers. Jessie's girl.
Nope. Jessie's girl. Verygood. Cool. In the Gang.
Ladies night? Nope. Celebration.
Probably the same. El Yes.Celebration. Uh, hollowing Outs.
Man, eater.
Tough because now it'sprobably off that same album.
Private Eyes?
No, off the same album. Oh.
Uh.
Kiss on My List. Okay. Andthen Eddie Rabbit again.
I.
Love Rain Night. I lovea rainy night. Very good.
And then going back tomovie themes with Dolly.
Parton. Uh, nine to five.
Yep. And AO Speedwagon. One of your faves.
You're not one of my faves.
I know. Keep part Loving You. Which iswhat I do. I just keep on living you.
Back.
So let's skip a little bit. Let's, um,gimme a year that you want to explore.
This will be our last one we explore.
Um, 1987.
Okay. 87. You want to, how do you wannado this? Let me throw out the band.
Okay. Or the song.
Whatever you would like.
I'll throw out the band.Number one, the Bangles.
Uh, walk Like an Egyptian.
Very good. It always makes me thinkof Steve Martin on Saturday night.
Oh, okay. Yep. He had athing for King Top. Yes.
Heart. That's a tough.
One. That is be, I.
Have no clue what this song he.
Were kind of researching then. Um-huh.
It's a one word song.
Never.
No. Alone. No. I have noclue what that song is.
And legally we can'tpull that up and play.
It. You would if you heardit, it you would know it.
I'll bet I would. Yeah.Now, Gregory Abbott.
Oh, shake you down number.
Three. Yes. My wife's on a role. Okay,
now here's a broad one.Whitney Houston number four.
God, that's tough cuz she was very.
I know because she had.
So many very hot, um, Iwanna dance with somebody.
Yes. Uh, five of Starship.
We built this city. Otherone. Um, oh, it's from that,
um, mannequin. I cannotthink of the name of it.
Nothing's gonna.
Stop us now. Yes. Fromthe movie Mannequin. Okay.
Mm-hmm. . Um, Robbie Nevo.
Se Avi.
Yes. Uhoh. Ah, what, here we go.
The one that you love and I justkinda always look the other way.
Whenever you who's playing.
White name.
Pick. What song do youthink it is? Number seven for.
The year? Um, here I go again.
Yeah. Um, this is one ofmy all time favorite songs.
It always kind of tears me up wheneverhear Bruce horns me in the range.
That's just the way it is.
Yep. It always, as a socialstudies teacher, history teacher,
it always ticks me off.Excuse me. I can say this.
It pisses me off when I hearthe lyrics to that song.
Right about here we are how manyyears later? 35 years later.
And that crap is still going on withwhat they were talking about in the song.
Here we go. And you and I saw it a fewtimes in Europe. Mm-hmm. .
Right. Especially in London. Um,
when we gave fries to that guythat was outside the hotel, God,
it still happens. Okay.Number nine, Bob Seger with.
The Silver Bullet Band. .
Yeah. The name of thesong. See if you can.
Get it. Uh, shakedown.
Yes. Very good. From Beverly Hills.And the last one, Uhhuh .
See another movie one, right? Yeah.
It was a Beverly Hills Copor Beverly Hills Cup too.
I think it's BeverlyHills Cup too. Okay. Okay.
Cause it was later. Yeah.Okay. Um, bringing up number10 was done by Bon Jovi.
Uh, you give love a bad name.
Nope. Same album.
Living on a Prayer.
Yep. There you go. So that wrapsup. See how smart my wife is?
She blows me away with this stuff.
We get on track on some of this stuffon Saturday mornings when we're hanging
out in bed if we're both off and itjust takes us a while to get outta bed.
All right. So, um, we've alreadydone the summarize the decade. Um,
gimme a little bit of informationon concerts that you attended back
then, or you can be aswild as you want. Uh,
or bands that you attendedsince the eighties
that were played known for theirmusic from the eighties. So.
Go ahead. Uh, well of course we wentto a couple white snake concerts.
.
Yeah. Figured out I left that one open.
White snake with great white opening.I believe that was at Alpine Valley.
Mm-hmm. . Okay. We went,uh, I think it was World Series of Rock,
which was at Alpine Valley and withWhite Snake there was multiple groups.
Um,
we went to Monsters of Rockin Minneapolis and I think
Van Haen was, um, the,the headliner. But there,
I think there was threeother groups as well,
like Dawkin and I can'teven tell you. Um, yeah,
that kind of was the eighties.
Went to see Stevie Nicks with mysister Peter Frampton opened at
Alpine Valley. That'sprobably the extent of it.
Okay. Being that the name ofthe show is, life's a Road Trip,
it's time to shift gearsof this conversation.
The drive of this podcast is to cruisewith handicap or disabled community.
You're not handicapped, but you dooffer a unique, a unique perspective.
Now we first met in our late teens,
then I went off to college and lifehappened and we just drifted apart.
At that time I was a soccer player andwe danced the nights away at the disco.
Back then you kinda saw me as ahunk as you tell me and stuff.
But four years later,
you found me on Facebook tofind that I was a now a quad amputee.
Now I have to ask you, babe,
what was it like to learnthat I had become handicapped?That I had wore braces,
uh, to walk after losing parts of myfeet and I had lost both of my hands?
Tell me about.
It. Um, to be honest,
I was nervous meeting youbecause I wasn't sure what
my reaction would beto the physical aspect
because I had grown to care so muchabout you with our interactions
with not actually seeing eachother Well sometimes, you know,
when we would video chat, but
I wasn't sure and I wasapprehensive. I'll, I'll admit it.
I.
Okay. Thank you for the candor.
Yeah. I don't know ifI've ever told you that.
No, we've never talked about it. Whichis really cool to help us. You know,
we may end up keeping thisepisode on there for, uh,
everybody to hear and not just use itas a test. But this is good for us too,
uh, as a couple to be able to talk about.
Cuz we'd never really gotteninto it all that much.
But it's kind of cool that we'redoing it here in a podcast.
Yeah.
So, all right. I mean,
I respect where you're coming from andthat leads me to the next question,
just in general or howeveryou want want to go about it.
What's it like to be married toa handicap or disabled person?
I, because it came later in my life,
um, I had to learn how to do things,
which in my previousmarriage I had somebody
that would pretty much take care of allthat. So now I'm learning how to do it.
Um, now you're talking about, youknow, when you and I get together,
so we first got together, we boughta lot of online furniture to,
to set up an apartment andyou're the one that had to
go about putting everything together.That's what you're talking about.
Right? Maybe I, yes I am. Um, okay.
And sometimes now whenwe do things together,
I think you get frustrated and Ialways take it as frustration on me,
but sometimes I, you will explain. No,
it's you not being able to do it, butyou'll tell. Right. Give me instructions.
Do it this way. And I'm always go theopposite way for whatever reason. .
See, there's a tendency with us is youdon't trust yourself as much because
while society teaches you asa female typically did, oh,
you're not supposed to be able to do that.
Plus you were married tosomeone that did all that stuff,
but he always treated you alittle differently than I do.
Absolutely.
Uh, and he just didn't trust you orhe didn't think that you were, anyway,
let's, let's not get into Yeah.That sort of stuff. So, okay.
All right. So again,it's good. And I think
that this sort of thing,because most of the,
the guess that we're gonna be having onthe show are all disabled or handicapped
or something. And, andto be speaking with, um,
a spouse like yourself, you know,of a person that's handicapped,
um, I think it's a unique perspective. So.
And in some ways I thinkwe all have a handicap.
Yours are just more visible.
Very profound, my dear.
Yeah.
Well,
let's pop into what I'm really lookingforward to doing with guests at the
end of each show, we're gonna dothe road trip checklist. Okay. Okay.
So thinking about some stuff, I'm justgonna throw you five different questions.
Just roll with whatever comes off topof your head. I don't care. Weird It is.
All right. So pretty simple. Okay.What's your go-to? What? All right.
So you and I are out going on a roadtrip and we looking for blue signs and we
always say, what are you hungry for?I don't know, what are you hungry?
You know, we always go through that.So what's your go-to fast food?
Say if I'm not in thecar, what's your go-to.
Fast food? Um, taco Bell comes to mind.
Yeah. And you always get a packetof, um, hot sauce for each egg.
Mild.
Sauce each Ed. Mild. Mild, yeah.Yep. Make sure it's mild. All right,
number two. What's your dreamcar for a road trip? I mean,
we've already got your convertiblebug. Mm-hmm. . Okay.
Sue drives a convertible Volkswagen.
So what's your dream carif it's not your bug?
So I can go a little high.
Anything, whatever you want.
Babe. Um, I would say aCadillac. Really? Yes.
Not one of those big bugs. Not.
A big boat, like thissporty seat that Okay.
Because they ride nice. Theyare quiet on the road. Okay. Um,
and I'm sure they haveimproved since I've had one,
although I did like my little, um, suvcuz you sit up a little higher. Yep.
Yeah. Well,
we'll see if we can get something underthe Christmas tree this year. Maybe not.
uh,
the last cassette or CD thatplayed while you were on a road.
Trip? Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits.
That's nice.
And that was probably when you're on yourway to Sandy's to visit for a weekend.
The first time I,
I Sandy's at cd I washeading to Milwaukee.
This was 2008, I believe, 2009,
2008 to fly to see myfriend Mary in Vegas.
So I flew down or drove down to Sandy'sin Dennis's and then they took me to the
airport and I just gotten thatCD I had donated to PBS on one
of their when they do that andgot that. Mm-hmm. .
Very.
Cool. And I still like it.I love it for road tripping.
Excellent. Okay. Numberfour is Coke or Pepsi.
That can be any of their products. Andthat didn't have to be Coke or Pepsi,
you know. Yeah. Sodas.
We have a lot of Cokehere. I'm gonna say Pepsi.
Wow. You're throwing me off. .Why is it that we, well you know,
when we, you and I go through and we,
we stop cuz we always get a mediumor large and then we always course.
Can I see Dr Is that a Coke.
Product? That's what I was justgonna say. No, I think it's a,
I think they're independent, aren'tthey? Because you and I always look for,
hey, they got Diet Dr. Pepper and sowhenever somebody has diet Dr. Pepper,
Arby's and then we saw it,
we were at Hardee's recentlyand we saw that they had it.
So we always do that because it'sso rare for us to get it. Um,
last one, what's yourfavorite road trip memory?
Uh, driving to Memphis tomarry the love of my life.
Oh. Oh, that was fun. Wasn.
That, that was very.
Fun. That was wild. Thatwas most enjoyable. That wewere looking for a hotel,
uh, like we were southern Illinois cuzwe had to cut it in half cuz we live in
central Wisconsin and driveall the way to Memphis.
We weren't gonna make it inone day, so we stopped, eh,
60% the way down somelittle hotel, I don't know,
ended up being in a good location,but it was at night. And uh,
the computer helped us.
On the way down.
On the way down. They.
Came in where Papa's hometownis or you know. That's.
Right.
I can't, I don't.
That's right. I forgotwhat the name. It was in.
Illinois. Yes it was.
But, okay. All right. Very cool.Thanks. Okay, that wraps up.
Test show, uh, number one. And hopefullythis is gonna be the only test show,
so I really appreciate it, babe. Andwould you do something for me if I can?
Um, do you think I have enough winefor dinner? Are we cooking tonight? No.
Um, no, we're doing thatsomething up. We're.
Doing meat. Well, whenI come up, I'm gonna,
I'm gonna move my wine fromthe fra freezer, so. All right.
Thanks everybody for listening.This is really going out.
This is gonna be posted on the websitefor our guests that we're gonna be
recording before I drop our first one,which I think is scheduled for Tuesday,
January 3rd. So any, uh,
guests that I interview before then aregonna be hearing this just as a test.
By the way, this went a little bitover 19 minutes. Were you comfortable?
I was very comfortable, honey.
I, I think you did well, Iappreciate it. Okay. So, um,
let me get outta here and Iappreciate it. Love you babe.
Love ya. Peace.
Thanks for listening. Check outprevious episodes with new ones,
dropping each Tuesday.
If you don't see a synopsis ofthis show where you're listening,
visit our website atlife's road trip dot pod
beam.com. For more informationon this week's guest,
this is your host, Scott Martin,reminding you that life's a road trip.