My year in review: though it was the year I lost my dad to cancer and my granddad to Parkinson's, it was also a year where I got promoted from research aide to assistant researcher at work, went with my friends, Tyler and Kevin to spend a weekend in St. Joseph, Missouri, went with several work people and friends to an Association of University Centers on Disability in Washington, D.C, e-mailing my senators and representatives almost every day of the year asking them to support abortion rights, and doing a lot to fight my anxiety, among other things. My resolution for the new year: look at finding a townhouse or a condo in Lawrence, enjoy trips in Kansas or Missouri an hour away from Kansas City with friends, work on finishing a couple of the books I started this year in addition to some of the ones on my reading list, continue to work toward finishing a few novels and stories I have started on, continue my journey in dealing with my memory loss, and do what I can to stop a president or Congress who are either Trump or someone who would pardon him for his crimes or sign any kind of national abortion ban from coming to power. Happy New Year, everybody!
The Autist Dharma
A writer and activist telling his story of following the Buddha's teachings in today's world with autism.
Autist Dharma picture
Sunday, December 31, 2023
Friday, December 23, 2022
My 2022 in Review
The highlights of my year: the one-year anniversary of starting my job as a research aide at the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities; moving to Lawrence, Kansas; going to Washington, D.C. with KUCDD for the annual Association of University Centers on Disabilities, where I met disabled rights activists Liz Weintrub and Emily Ladau; went on another overnight weekend trip with Tyler and Kevin; came up with and started on several new novels in addition to gauging my prospects of finishing and hopefully publishing them in the new future, and finished the first draft of a novella; discovered more about my memory loss of events from thirteen years ago and resolved to find an EMDR specialist in Lawrence to help me uncover more of the chapters of my live that I lost my access to; and, though Roe vs. Wade was overturned by six judges appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, Kansas struck down an amendment that would have allowed further suppression of abortion in the state, kept its governor and judges that will honor the Kansas constitution's position that abortion is a right, and anti-choice Republicans failed to take the Senate and an overwhelming House majority necessary for a national abortion ban.
My New Year's resolution: finish a few of the books I started on in the last two years, continue writing a new of my novels to get a sense of the possibility of finishing and publishing at least one of them, and find and work with an EMDR specialist in Lawrence to uncover more of the lost memories of things I experienced many years ago. Here's to a new year, everyone!Saturday, May 14, 2022
A Serious Message to My Fellow Buddhists Out there
Thursday, December 30, 2021
My 2021 in Review
The high points of my year, while there were some lousy lows, this year I: got my COVID vaccine, ditched a toxic therapist, got a new job as a research aide at the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, ended up having my apartment to myself and my cat, finished several short stories and the first draft of a novella minus a title and an author's note, started on a novel that I have made a plan to finish by next year, got my COVID booster and flu shot, asked a person out for the first time in two years, even though I got rejected, and got involved with An Evening with the Rents to raise money for Camp Encourage that serves autistic people ages 8-18. My New Year's Resolution: continue to acclimate to my new job, find an outlet for several of my short stories, find a way to publish my novella, finish my novel, spend time with the people I care about most, let my friends (at least the ones I see in real life) in on parts of my life that I haven't let them in on before, limit my activities outside of work and other obligations more when it is good and conceivable, and check my outline on the things that are my day-to-day life.
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
My 2020 in Review
My year in review: getting an apartment with my middle brother as my roommate; finishing a second term of service as a VISTA for UMKC’s Propel program; finishing the KUMC Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) certificate program; reforming and organizing the Kansas City League of Autistics, an advocacy organization that had not been active for over two years; walking almost every day I’m not working and losing at least ten pounds; adopting a kitten from KC Pet Project; finishing several of my short stories and submitting one to six different fiction magazines, with five rejecting me and one I haven’t heard back from; working on a novel everyday for at least three months hoping this time to actually finish it by the end of May next year and submit it to publishers; taking back my old job for the time being bagging at the grocery store while also being trained and working as a backup cashier until I find a more permanent job; getting in touch with old friends from high school; supporting people I care about who have been laid off during shutdowns; and that’s not to mention Biden winning the electoral vote and the discovery of a Coronavirus vaccine. My New Year’s Resolution (not that I have to wait until the new year to do this): finish my novel, finish several more short stories and get them accepted by magazines, and sell my crafts on Etsy. A new challenge lies ahead.