In the April 1st episode of The Purposely Broken World, Kevin discusses wheelchair and other mobility device etiquette. This is an educational podcast with a few jokes thrown in You want to catch this episode. As always, all comments are welcome.
Author: Kevin Núñez
-
“The Normal Life” Episode 1 Part 2
Subscribe to continue reading
Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.
-
Life Tips
Hello Readers,-
So this week really got away from me It took me a long time to produce the next podcast, which will be released on April 1st. All I could think to do was come up with this quick list of tips to have a good life. I hope you guys enjoy it. As always, all comments are welcome.
Proverbs 1:5-6 NIV [5] let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— [6] for understanding proverbs and parables, the ayings and riddles of the wise.
- Develop X-ray vision: Never take things at face value; the best-dressed man may be the biggest snake. The man who is smelly and brash may be the one who helps you the most. What good is it to dress up on the outside if you’re dead on the inside?
- Give what you can and save what you can’t lose.
- Regardless of what religion you follow, it’s safe to say we reap what we sow. So be careful with seeds you plant.
- Always help when you can; don’t put it off for another day, because one day you will need the same help.
- Knowledge is power, but with significant power comes great responsibility. So use it wisely.
- Never stop learning, but realize you will never learn it all.
- No matter how bad it seems, someone has it worse. What you throw away, someone else is already looking for.
- Each breath we take is one we can’t get back, so remember to leave something good in this world for others to find after you have left it.
- Learn the difference between living and existing.
- Laugh like you never have before, and love like you always wanted to be loved.
I know there’s a lot to unpack here, and I know that each one of these can be its own separate post. I also know that a lot of these things you probably heard before, sometimes we just need a reminder. I think that’s what I was really trying to do—just remind all of us of things the world has made us forget. Thanks for reading. See you guys next time. I love you all.
latest Podcast Episode
-
“The Normal Life” (Forgotten Podcast)
Subscribe to continue reading
Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.
-
The Disability Love Paradox
Hello friends,
Happy Wednesday to you all! Thank you once again for spending a little time with me. There’s been something on my mind lately, and I want to share it with you guys. This is going to be a bit of a controversial blog. A lot of people will not agree with this. Some people will call me an ableist. Ableism is defined as
“discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.“discrimination in favor of able-bodied people”.
Last week, I wrote a blog entitled The Disability Paradox. This is a very complicated sequel. There’s no nice way to say this; romantic relationships are complicated. Having a disability is also complicated. Mixing those two things is not easy. I need to say from the outset that there are individuals with such complex needs that they are not able to have a romantic relationship. That does not mean that they’re not allowed to feel their feelings and try to process them the best way they can. Remember that no two individuals living with a disability are the same, despite whatever the diagnosis says.
Reality television has done a much better job of including individuals with disabilities in its programming. There was a man on the spectrum who won a season of Big Brother. Years later, there was another female who won the Favorite House Guest award on another season of Big Brother without disclosing her autism diagnosis until the very end of the season. In addition, there was a deaf contestant on the competition series The Circle.
There is another reality show called Love on the Spectrum that features individuals trying to date with various intellectual disabilities. These are very real people with real feelings I don’t know if it’s the production and editing of the show, but the show comes across as very “inspirational and safe.” They want the individuals to be seen as happy and overcome all kinds of obstacles in their way. Yes, people with disabilities need more support, but the show does not focus on the long-term issues of the relationship, and how they handle those is scarcely shown. This show is designed to make the viewer feel happy. This show doesn’t feel real.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV [4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
As a person with a physical disability, I feel left out. There is another show I want to focus on called Love is Blind. For those of you unfamiliar with this show, able-bodied folks meet without seeing each other; they date for a few weeks before deciding to get married. This is appealing to me because this is the only scenario where someone would get to know me and not see me as someone in a wheelchair first. I cannot hide, nor do I want to be part of myself. I just want people to learn to look past the disability first.
I want to have a real conversation about faith, finances, long-term goals with a partner, sex, etc. Why are people with disabilities always segregated amongst ourselves? Everyone on Love is Blind is physically fit and has solid careers. The casting department was able to cover all ethnic backgrounds, but they forgot about the largest minority in the United States. It is important to show that individuals with disabilities should have romantic relationships. However, they are insinuating that they can only date others with disabilities This is not an example of inclusion but rather of exclusion. We are all part of the same human race, and we will have obstacles to overcome, regardless of ability. Real love should be what’s on the inside, not the outside. I know this is the beginning of a much deeper conversation Hopefully, someone will continue around the dinner table tonight.
Latest Moments of Brightness Newsletter
-
The Good Fight
Subscribe to continue reading
Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.
-
Chosen Last
In the March 15th episode of the Purposely Broken World, Kevin delivers a very short testimony on the benefits of being chosen last by this world. In the real kingdom, the weak are the strong, and the strong are the weak. Don’t give up; pray first, and pray last. All comments are welcome.
spottily YouTube -
The Diisability Paradox
Hey everyone! How are you doing today? I have something to share with you: I wasn’t always into advocacy. When I was growing up, I thought advocacy was just something my parents did to make sure I had what I needed from my school. To me, people who did advocacy seemed like they were just loud and not really helpful. My parents did a great job treating me like any other kid. They celebrated when I did well and corrected me when I made mistakes. They made sure everything at home and everywhere else was set up so I could do things on my own, like having a low bed I could easily get in and out of.
My family accepted my disability because it was all they knew about me. I even played baseball with other kids who had disabilities. But my family also knew that the world wouldn’t always make things easy for me. They enrolled me in regular classes at a public school. That’s when I learned about what I call “the Disability Paradox.”
Advocacy is about teaching people and changing their minds about things they’re not used to. Even though we have laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it doesn’t mean everyone with a disability is treated equally. Think about it: When a mom is expecting a baby, she hopes the baby will be “healthy.” But what does that mean? Why should having a disability be seen as a bad thing?
Did you know that Franklin D. Roosevelt used a wheelchair because he had polio? He hid it by using special braces on his legs, even though it was really painful. But even now, many people with disabilities still feel like they have to hide who they are. People have done amazing things like going to the moon and building tall buildings, but there are still a lot of people with disabilities who don’t get the help they need.
We talk about big issues like climate change, but sometimes the solutions don’t work for everyone. Imagine not being able to drink a lemonade on a hot day because of a ban on plastic straws. This is something that could’ve been avoided if people with disabilities were included in the decision-making process.
We’re not just here to inspire or be pitied. We’re part of society just like everyone else. But why don’t we see more people with disabilities in positions of power? We’re more than just a feel-good story during prom season.
Lots of people have disabilities, but society often sees us as broken and needing to be fixed. But we’re not broken. We just need the same chances as everyone else.
This is just the beginning of many conversations we need to have. It’s okay if you don’t understand at first. Just listen and learn. Once we all know better, we can all do better.
-
American Awareness Preview
Subscribe to continue reading
Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.
-
A Disabled Father
Happy Wednesday Good people I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. This week I was planning to do a whole blog about the new rules the Department of Transportation (DOT) is hoping to implement to help disabled travelers when they are traveling on airplanes. I read a few articles and even drafted a few lines, but I wasn’t feeling it. It was written without love. So I went back and rewrote something I wrote back in 2020. All these years later, it’s still one of my favorite pieces of writing. You can find the original version in my first publication, Confessions from DisabilityLimbo. I hope you enjoy it. See you next week!
Exodus 20:12 NIV [12] “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Hi there, I’m Kevin Nuñez, and I’m all about standing up for people with disabilities in New Jersey. I’ve got Cerebral Palsy, but that hasn’t stopped me from joining state committees to make life better for folks like me and our families. Now, I get it—when you saw the title of this blog, you probably laughed or rolled your eyes. “How could a guy like me be a dad? Can I even handle changing diapers or holding a baby without dropping them?” Sound familiar? You might’ve even thought, “This is too far-fetched. Let’s talk about something else.”
Let’s clear the air. I don’t have all the answers. I’m what you call a “realistic optimist.” That means I know how tough life can be, but I’m always on the lookout for the good stuff. I’m 33 years old, and it’s been forever since I went on a real date. So yeah, the chances of me becoming a dad anytime soon are pretty slim. But here’s the thing: life isn’t just about having all the answers. It’s about the journey, about keeping hope alive even when the odds are stacked against you.
I know not everyone with a disability can have kids. It’s complicated, and I get that. This blog might not resonate with everyone, and that’s okay. All I want is to start a conversation—maybe even one you’ll have at your next family dinner.
Hey, William Christopher,
I’ve been holding onto this until you turned 18 because I want you to know how much you mean to me. I wrote this back in 2020, when everyone was thinking about their lives. It was before I met your mom, back when I had all this love in my heart but no one to share it with. So even though I might not be the perfect dad, I want you to know that I’ve always loved you.
I can’t wait to be there for all your big moments—teaching you to ride a bike, helping you up when you fall. I’m not sure how we’ll figure it all out, but we will. And hey, you’re going to be bilingual—English and Spanish. Trust me, it’ll come in handy someday when you’re filling out job applications.
It’s not going to be easy when people stare at us in public, but you’ve always handled it like a champ. I’m looking forward to watching baseball games with you and having fun wrestling matches, even if you know it’s all staged. Just remember to balance the fun stuff with hard work, and always treat everyone with kindness and respect.
Happy 18th birthday, buddy. Make it a good one.
Lots of love,
Dad Kevin
The Latest Moments of Brightness Newsletter
The Advocacy Life Podcast & Blog 