Happy Wednesday friends! I hope everything is going well. As you are reading this, I am currently on the way back from the disability policy seminar, and I’m excited to be in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. I do not consider myself an influencer In this age of digital consumption, it is hard to get people’s attention, let alone keep it for any length of time. I’m just someone who tries to make a small difference in someone’s day. At first, I promised myself I would never charge anything for my creations. It started as a hobby. I don’t expect to have 100,000 followers anytime soon. I have 150 subscribers to the website. Less than a thousand followers on all social media platforms. I started this blog about 4 years ago, and the current version is about 2 years old. The same is true with the podcast. I am proud to say that I have a small but loyal following.
1 Corinthians 12:8 NIV [8] To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
Here’s something most creators will not admit: it takes a lot of time and energy to produce anything video, audio, or written. For a 20-minute podcast episode, it takes about an hour to record and about 3 hours to edit. My first book took about 10 years to write. My second book, which I hope to have out by the end of September, took about 3 years. Blogs are more fun to write because they’re less time-consuming,are the ones people focus on the least because people don’t like to read. For most people, this would be considered “disposable income” if they charged for their content. For someone like me, this is my income. A few months ago, I decided to start a bonus newsletter for subscribers for a small fee. I have a cash app and PayPal if anyone wants to give me a few dollars. Why does this matter so much to me?
Since I’m on social security, I can only earn so much. I live below the poverty line. Did you know that the term “handicapped” comes from the 1600s in London, when people with disabilities used to walk around with a cap, playing games and doing tricks for spare change? As a disabled American in 2024. I kind of feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong I love what I do, and I do what I love. It sucks just because I was born a certain way and was never given a shot at a real career or a real job. I love helping others with all my heart, but part of me feels like a very handsome, well-intention Oliver Twist, saying, “Please, sir, may I have some more?”
Most of my writings are written well in advance. So when I go to Washington, DC, even though I will always advocate for others first, This year I’m going to advocate to raise the asset limit for individuals with disabilities so I can earn a real living without having to stuff money under the mattress like I’m a criminal. Just because I was born a certain way doesn’t mean I should be in a second class. I should have the opportunity to make a living doing what I love. I will never ask for money, but if you’re interested, all the links are above. If you don’t like my content, that’s fine, but I guarantee you that you do follow some other small content creators, so please support them. Thanks for reading this, and I hope to see you guys next week.
The Advocacy Life Podcast & Blog 