In the English class of my sophomore year of high school, the teacher had us start a blog. Each week we had an assignment to write on our blog. Here is one of the post I had written:  

“I would like to describe how other people view me and my disability. People who know me well, like my family, see me as a young man who is bright and funny and happens to be in a power wheelchair. They see me as if I am no different than anybody else in the world. There are other people who know me, like my friends, who see me as a guy in a power wheelchair who is smart and happy. At school, most of the kids know me and they see me as popular (of course, not as popular as Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson), but still very popular. There are also some people who don’t know me at all, like strangers on the street, who see me as someone in a power wheelchair who has something wrong with him and is not smart.”

It is always interesting how people treat me. I can tell the right way who have experience of being around with other people with disabilities and who haven’t. Some people treat me like a normal person. Others treat me like I have a mentally disability because I am in a wheelchair and can’t talk. If you are wondering how to talk with certain people who have a disability, ask yourself, “How would you want to be treated?”

Dating is always hard for people with disabilities. Especially for me. How comfortable are people going with me? What to do? How to keep the conversations going? I feel embarrassed when eating around people even if my siblings feed me because I get messy. The last time I went on a date was probably in 2017. I don’t remember what I did. One time I got asked to go out to a dance. That was during my sophomore year of high school. My big sister helped to plan that date and fed me. It was the same girl I took out on my first date. She has known me for years. She was brave enough to hold my hands for the dance. Holding hands is always awkward and stressful. I end up worrying about hurting someone.

Since high school, I have gone out with different women. Mostly to a movie theater. Not the best place to get to know each other. It is always hard to know what to do. That might be why nobody has asked me out. There are not many activities I can do on single dates. Whenever I do go out, time would end up being my enemy. I barely get to know the girl. I appreciate everyone who went out with me! It is difficult to talk and do stuff at the same time. Dating shouldn’t be that hard. It can be so simple like watching a movie or sport at a house. Perhaps sitting and talking at a pond.

I pulled more questions from a website. 

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? My dream is to live on acres of forest where I can roam freely. 

What is your favorite restaurant? Tucanos Brazilian Grill. Their pineapples are to die for. 

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? I would get a dog and go around in facilities to make people smile. 

Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without? My communication board. It is my life. 

If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? Be in tune with people’s feelings.

Getting an income 

Before college, I made most of my money by doing chores and selling my candies to siblings. I used to come home with candies. Unable to feed myself, I always have treats around. Someone has to stop what they are doing and give me bites. That’s why I don’t ask often. My siblings got tired of seeing my candies, so I sold them. Since then, I have become the money man. Selling candies was not enough to get me through college. Mom thought it was time to apply for Supplemental Security Income. While sitting at the office, a guy laughed and wondered why I didn’t apply sooner. The process went so fast. I started receiving income within the first few months. That’s a huge deal. 

Spending money 

Another reason I am called the money man is that I like to save up as much as possible. Used to wait to spend until I found something that I really wanted. With SSI, I am only allows to have two thousand dollars total. The first year was really hard. I had to spend more money. Something I was not used to doing. For a while I had the biggest tv in the house. Everybody was jealous. I kept saving up to get the more expensive stuff. There was a time I had everything I wanted and was struggling to spend more money. What else could I get? I had to really think. 

The concert 

Going to a concert was on my bucket list. Love listening to Coldplay. I missed an opportunity to see them perform in a city nearby me. Then I happened to see that they were going to be in the stadium where the 49ers plays. I wanted to visit the stadium and see the history. Thought it would be a double hitter. So I talked my dad into flying out. With my power chair, we heard nightmares about wheelchairs getting damaged. That didn’t stop me. Besides the airplane tickets, I paid almost everything else. Mom and dad were so stressed. The trip went so smoothly and the Coldplay was a blast. 

I am so grateful for Social Security Income! With the monthly payment, I have been able to pay for my personal supplies. Also get out of the house and go places more often. 

A lot of time people ask non yes and no questions, it takes me a couple minutes to respond. It is hard for people to wait. Especially out in the public. Texting works great, I can respond without anyone waiting. For the interview, I have people send me questions beforehand. So I can answer more quickly. It works out great. I appreciate everybody who took the time to listen to me! Not many people know me well because of the amount of time it takes me to type. Many people would like to learn more about me. I pulled questions from a website. 

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Sandwiches. There are many different types of sandwich I can eat. 

Do you have a favorite holiday? Why or why not? I love Christmas because my families come over for our big breakfast and gifts. 

What’s your favorite board game? Splendor. I enjoy playing any game. My parents always tease me about taking me to Vegas. I have the most luck in my family. 

How do you enjoy spending your alone time? I hope my future wife watches sports. Having a game at night is what motivates me to get through my days. I am still a big Utah Jazz fan even though Donovan Mitchell got traded. 

What would be the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery? Invest. So I can help more people to get a voice or transportation. It is difficult to see children and adults not able to speak their minds.