Redefining Perceptions of Autism Through Self-Advocacy with Sam Mitchell

Transcript

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The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast host and guest and do not necessarily represent those of our distribution partners, supporting business relationships or supported audience.

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Welcome to Transacting Value, where we talk about practical applications for instigating self-worth when dealing with each other and even within ourselves, where we foster a podcast listening experience that lets you hear the power of a value system for managing burnout, establishing boundaries, fostering community and finding identity.

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My name is Josh Porthouse, I'm your host and we are redefining sovereignty of character.

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This is why values still hold value.

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This is Transacting Value.

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I never had a chance to do something good for the world.

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I always wanted to, but an opportunity never came up until Autism Rocks and Rolls was made.

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I own Transacting Value.

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Knowing who you are is only half of our growth journey.

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Understanding how you come across to people is entirely another and transacting value.

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Knowing who you are is only half of our growth journey.

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Understanding how you come across to people is entirely another.

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Today we're talking with Sam Mitchell, and he's the host of Autism Rocks and Rolls podcast and also the founder of Autism Rocks and Rolls nonprofit corporation in Indiana.

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We're talking all about understanding how who you are and who you come across in society sometimes is not as important as helping other people develop their awareness about you.

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I'm Josh Porthouse, I'm your host and from SDYT Media.

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This is Transacting Value, Sam.

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What's up, man?

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How you doing.

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Hey, buddy, good to be here.

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Thanks for having me on on.

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I just was helping out some friends before we got started cleaning up their truck, sure, sure?

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no, I appreciate you making some time, man.

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I understand there's a lot of other things that can take up your schedule, especially you're in college now, right?

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oh god, yeah, third year, no crap.

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Yet last year, my bad last year of broadcasting as a student.

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I hopefully will be getting an associate's degree afterward.

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Yeah, congratulations, congratulations.

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What do you want to do with broadcasting Radio?

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Okay, all right, perfect.

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Well then, I have a strong feeling we'll be staying in touch.

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I'd love to follow along with your journey as well, but so tell me about it, man.

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Let's break it down a little bit for everybody who's listening in and watching this video.

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Who are you?

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Where are you from?

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What sort of things are you paying attention to?

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I'm Sam Mitchell.

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I run the podcast Autism Rocks and Rolls.

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It's a podcast about autism and how we cope with daily struggles that you may or may not understand.

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Through the podcast it's grown so much.

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I've helped sponsors, a board of eight.

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I also do speaking engagements.

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I've also spoken at Oklahoma, orlando three times, canada, twice Stewart, florida and Washington DC.

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I'm also the event planner in Indiana.

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We have one coming up in December which will be Breakfast with Santa.

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It's going to be kind of fun.

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We get to have the kids get pictures with Santa, have a pancake breakfast and then, hopefully after, we'll be having a cookie eating contest, like Christmas cookie contest.

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Nice To make them or eat them Both.

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You got to make them.

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You're going to get the judges.

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They are probably my grandparents and they're going to be judged on flavor and presentation.

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Perfect, perfect, I love it, I love it, I love it.

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So what?

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What is it about autism, you think?

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gets so misunderstood by people that we can't do squat, that we can't do anything, that that I'm not capable of cleaning up a truck, for example, for a basis, but the fact is they don't think we could do anything.

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There's a whole population of the autism.

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That is, they consider and I hate this word, but they just want me to describe it low functioning, where they can't use the bathroom on their own, they're in a wheelchair bow, they don't brush their teeth, and that's some.

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I'm not going to deny it.

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But there's also a population like myself who actually goes to college and who's actually works and helps out when he can.

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And, may I also add, is just, let me lie to an extent.

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So how do you convey that though I mean you're not a teacher, you know what I mean?

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Is this through your podcast and through the corporation?

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As much as I don't like to say myself, I'm a teacher.

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I kind of come from it.

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My mom's a teacher.

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She teaches eighth grade English.

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In essence, the best way I do it is through the podcast, to show people this is what you think autism is, and to a point you're right.

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But it's not everything what you think.

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Sure Well, it's a spectrum, a spectrum, right.

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So there's someone, one in someone people forget that.

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People forget it's a spectrum, yeah, and it's also so frustrating that they don't understand our social issues with patients, with having foot and mouth syndrome.

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No filter, that's something I got crippling anxiety.

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Yeah, I don't understand effective communication, so when't understand effective communication.

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So when I say effective communication, I'm not talking about conversations, although I kind of am not the best with that either.

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I'm talking about the eye rolls, the facial expressions, gestures, body language.

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I don't pay attention to it and some I don't choose to.

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It's the fact I literally can't because I'll overthink it.

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Oh, interesting, so you consciously tune it out to just listen to the words or whatever the conversation is.

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Because if I looked at it I would be like, oh crap, what did their eye rolls mean?

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Okay, okay.

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So you just got done with a keynote speech, though you just got done with all these speaking engagements.

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How'd it go?

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I think it went good.

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People thought I was funny and they liked the presentation style, so I guess it did something right.

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Yeah, man, Good job, Good job.

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But then for yourself identifying all this, I mean, to a certain degree, the amount of self-awareness that you've grown into and that you've learned is exponentially more than most of the population in the United States especially.

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So is that a conscious effort?

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Is that just natural to you?

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Did it take effort?

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How'd you figure it out and learn about yourself?

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I'm so sorry, buddy.

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I'm afraid I understand your question.

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Oh cool.

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So what I'm asking is to better understand how you prefer to learn and how you prefer to have conversations with people.

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How'd you figure it out?

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What I had to do was I socialize my way.

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You don't like get out.

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I know it sounds cruel, but it's the only way I can do it, because if I socialize the way people do, it just doesn't make sense.

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One way is, for example, when you make friends, most of the time they happen naturally right, like you don't have to ask if they're in or out.

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I can't do that.

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I'm going through this right now, literally last week, I asked people who I thought were interested in being a friend instead of let it happen naturally.

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Are you interested in hanging out?

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I mean, are you in or out?

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Me Okay, and so that amount of clarity makes the difference in your personal life making new friends and in your social life, right?

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Mm-hmm, and that's what helps.

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A lot too in life is clarity, straight communication.

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There's a lot of times when those on the spectrum don't like literal thinking.

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So he's like, oh, I'm pulling your leg.

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They're going to think you're literally pulling their leg off.

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Sure, okay.

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Well then, what about now for you as a student?

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Because every teacher you have, I'm sure, isn't teaching the same way that works for you, so?

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Right?

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Well, the way I do it is I'm pretty direct with them, like I'll tell you, listen, this is what's going to have to happen for me to be successful, or it's not going to work.

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And I'm not like.

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It's not in a mean rude tone, it's very fair and respectful, but it's also kind of firm.

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Yeah, I think one of my professors doesn't like it, but that's the way I know how to communicate.

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I came from a family where we do not hold back.

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Oh, okay, so let's talk about that a little bit.

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I mean you're, I think she does it.

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You're what I said.

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I think this professor does it.

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Oh, sure, sure, but maybe I'm wrong.

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I'm over-reading it.

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Maybe, maybe, maybe not, because everybody overthinks things and gets anxious from time to time.

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Gets anxious from time to time, but your upbringing, the environment that you were raised in I'm sure that helped to develop your awareness about how people communicate, and yourself, right?

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What was that like?

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I would say so because, in my retrospect, my family was always important to teach me you better self-advocate for yourself, because mom and dad aren't going to be here forever now.

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Thankfully, I have them still in my life and they still have advocated for me before.

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But since I was an itty bitty boy, I was raised to speak up and when it comes to your rights, know them first of all.

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If you think they're not following the law, speak up, because there are laws for those with autism.

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Yeah, you know I talked to a lady a couple weeks ago now.

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Speak up, because there are laws for those with autism.

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Yeah, you know, I talked to a lady a couple weeks ago now and she was telling me that, of all her travels all around the world, her dad worked at different embassies in different countries, everywhere, and while she was growing up she traveled him around, followed him around, and she said one of the things that she learned was that everybody in the world that she came across communicates in three different ways.

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One of them tends to be real, objective, kind of fact-oriented, not by the books.

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The other tends to be a little bit more subjective in their feelings.

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And the other tends to be a little bit more subjective in their feelings and sort of more shallow in their topics.

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And then the other group tends to be a bit more subjective but a little deeper in their topics, which is generally where I prefer to sit in my conversations.

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But so, for example, this shirt is blue.

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I feel like this shirt is blue, or why is this shirt blue?

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Are three different types that she was talking about, and I've got some friends who are autistic and function on their own, they live on their own, they drive vehicles, but they tend to perceive the world more objectively because the emotions that people exhibit can be overwhelming, kind of like you talked about before.

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Yeah, hey, great example of that is I don't cry at funerals.

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I cause I get where this is going because, honestly, here's my reason why, and it's not the fact I don't.

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I'm not crying because I'm mad that they died or I'm not upset.

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I'm, of course I'm upset.

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They died or I'm not upset.

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Of course I'm upset.

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But let me ask you this Do tears bring back the dead?

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No, so why do it?

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There's no point.

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Do I sit there more and more respectfully?

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Of course I do.

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I'm devastated that my grandfather passed away and this did really happen, by the way, unfortunately, but thank you.

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And at that funeral happen, by the way, unfortunately, but thank you.

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And at that funeral, did I shed a tear?

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No, because I knew if I did, it wasn't going to bring him back to life.

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I believe most people are good and most mamas ought to qualify for sainthood.

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I believe most Friday nights look better underneath under stadium lights.

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I believe you love who you love Ain't nothing you should ever be ashamed of.

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I believe this world ain't half as bad as it looks.

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I believe most people are good.

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Do I sit there more and more respectfully?

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Of course I do.

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I'm devastated that my grandfather passed away and this did really happen, by the way, unfortunately.

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But thank you.

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And at that funeral did I shed a tear?

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No, because I knew if I did I wasn't going to bring him back to life.

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Do you think that's generally your pattern to process the world a bit more logically, a bit more realistic, and does that help?

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Yeah, it can.

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Sometimes it's too real, I believe, but then I'm also not afraid to be unreasonable, but not harmful.

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What do you mean?

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A great example is coming out with out-of-the-box solutions and following through.

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That may be unusual, but no one's getting hurt or bleeding or dying.

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A great example is actually it was actually in December a couple years ago, I think, maybe a little before that I had a wisdom tooth removed and wisdom tooth surgery God, probably the worst surgery I've ever been through Felt pretty bad and my parents tried it.

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It just got so bad one night like I couldn't even think, like I was literally about to be on my deathbed.

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I felt like.

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So then I suggested to my mom can we just go like to the parking lot and wait, and maybe it's for me to relax, because in my brain I can trick myself into thinking okay, look, I'm not getting help, but at least I'm at the building and in my brain.

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That's enough for me to say, okay, at least I'm here.

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Okay, All right.

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So then you start to process whatever the stimuli are in pieces at a pace you can manage right In retrospect, sure, Okay.

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Does that always work?

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It can to a point, but when you sometimes too sensitive, like me who has sensory issues, that don't work.

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I mean, it doesn't work every time I go in the rain because I hate my clothes getting wet, mainly my shirt.

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So then you just avoid the rain entirely, then no, there's stuff we got like umbrellas, okay.

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So there's something, there's something.

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There's something for that.

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An umbrella Right, Right, but there's still ways to work around all of these things.

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Right, that's what I think.

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When there's a will, there's a way and, honestly, if there's a way, that's a little out of the crazy wound I'm going to do it Well.

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Good, because I think everything you're describing makes you 100% normal.

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Everybody else is going through the same things.

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I get overstimulated in public speaking experiences.

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It's taken me three years to put this podcast on video, just because of nerves and anxiety.

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So what we did instead was produce it at a pace that I was more comfortable with my style, my look, my whatever conversation pattern.

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And then, okay, now we can put it on video because we've got a better routine or because I feel more comfortable with it, or whatever it is, and I think that's the case with everybody.

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You learn as you grow and build experience and you figure out things that work and things that don't.

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But in your case, you said you also advise corporate clients or businesses how to work with people with autism.

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Right?

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Right, I did a conference in Washington DC called the Neurodiversity in the Workplace.

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That conference was only about employees trying to learn how to work with those with autism, because they want to hire them, because they're great employees, but they do not know how to handle their socializing, their works.

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They wanted to, but just didn't know how to.

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And I was told I'm like you need to give them a chance, because we all deserve it don't we Sure?

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Yeah, well, that's what I'm saying.

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Just because you view the world differently than I do doesn't make you any less normal experiencing the world compared to me.

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There's still things I don't like that I got to figure out how to cope with and process.

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I just show it differently than you, but I show it differently than any other person as well, like you, compared to anybody else you know.

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So I don't think you're that abnormal.

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In fact, I think you're a bit more courageous, if anything, than people are giving you credit.

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For how many other people?

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Let me ask you this Thanks, bud, absolutely.

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Let me ask you this as far as nonprofit work is concerned, you said Autism, rocks and Rolls is a nonprofit right.

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Yep, it's a podcast, which is the name, and then the only way it's just a nonprofit is we just add the word corporation after Autism, rocks and Rolls.

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Okay, all right, sweet, I like simplicity.

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So did you know, according to the Department of Labor and this is for 2023, since 2024 is not over yet that there were something like 1.9 million nonprofits registered in the United States?

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Did you know that there's a lot out there?

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I figured there was, though.

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Absolutely there's a lot out there.

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I figured there was them, absolutely, and those 1.9 million non-profits employ on average, from 2023, 5.5 million employees around the country.

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Even if it's one non-profit with one person, still right, it counts, but all of those organizations are responsible for over $1 trillion in revenue for 2023 into the US economy.

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However, how many hundreds of millions of people are living in the United States?

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So for 1%, 2% or whatever it comes to, of people to have the courage to even start a nonprofit, let alone provide a service and help everybody else to advocate to create jobs, you're already in a super small percentage of really successful people, in my opinion.

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So I don't see what autism has to do with any of that as a detriment.

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In fact, it sounds like your autism is your superpower.

00:18:21.535 --> 00:18:24.792
It has been, and at points I'm not going to lie.

00:18:24.792 --> 00:18:32.374
It can get frustrating Because, honestly, like, for example, if I didn't ask like are you in or out?

00:18:32.374 --> 00:18:37.490
My stomach flip-flops Like it feels awful, like I feel nauseated.

00:18:37.490 --> 00:18:38.931
I'm surprised I'm not throwing up over it.

00:18:38.931 --> 00:18:41.349
Do I like doing it?

00:18:41.349 --> 00:18:46.373
No, but in my brain do I have to do it because I'm going to puke my guts out.

00:18:47.194 --> 00:18:51.972
Yes, Sure, well, like we said, clarity is hard to come by.

00:18:51.972 --> 00:18:56.053
You know something I've deployed all over the world.

00:18:56.053 --> 00:18:59.015
Most of my career has been in the infantry with the Marine Corps.

00:19:00.306 --> 00:19:02.453
Well, hey, it's Veterans Day, so thank you for your service.

00:19:02.964 --> 00:19:03.727
I appreciate that.

00:19:03.727 --> 00:19:04.489
Thank you for saying that.

00:19:04.489 --> 00:19:31.830
But in deploying all over the world, I've been very nervous, very scared, very anxious, very depressed for a bunch of different reasons over the last 15, almost 16 years, and one thing that I've learned is having some confidence in who you are and an awareness of how you come across to other people can really help to manage a situation in your favor.

00:19:31.830 --> 00:19:34.237
Do you think that's the case also?

00:19:34.664 --> 00:19:37.086
Yeah, yeah, but I also.

00:19:37.086 --> 00:19:42.469
I mean, I agree with you and part of the reason is I'm not afraid to sugarcoat.

00:19:42.469 --> 00:19:43.569
I don't sugarcoat things.

00:19:43.569 --> 00:19:46.412
I will tell you straight up how it is Like my advice.

00:19:46.612 --> 00:19:58.739
It's not tough love, it's just the truth in my opinion like you know, social feedback, somebody to say, for example, I don't want to be your friend.

00:19:58.739 --> 00:20:12.986
People tend to mask that and put up a facade and say you know, smile to your face but really they're not your friend.

00:20:12.986 --> 00:20:18.106
So I think, like in your case, finding a shortcut that works to know who can be loyal to you and who you can be vulnerable with, that's important.

00:20:19.009 --> 00:20:20.471
And I don't think a lot of people do it.

00:20:20.471 --> 00:20:22.998
It is, man, I agree.

00:20:22.998 --> 00:20:29.355
I 100% agree with you, because here's why If you're too vulnerable, someone's going to take advantage of you.

00:20:29.355 --> 00:20:32.433
If you're too loyal, someone's going to take advantage of you.

00:20:32.433 --> 00:20:37.016
If you're too defensive, though, people are going to think you're an ass.

00:20:39.567 --> 00:20:48.673
Join us for Transacting Value, where we discuss practical applications of personal values, every Monday at 9 am on our website, transactingvaluepodcastcom.

00:20:48.673 --> 00:20:54.736
Wednesdays at 5 pm and Sundays at noon on wreathsacrossamericaorg slash radio.

00:20:57.926 --> 00:21:00.012
If you're too vulnerable, someone's going to take advantage of you.

00:21:00.012 --> 00:21:00.928
If you're too vulnerable, someone's going to take advantage of you.

00:21:00.928 --> 00:21:03.814
If you're too loyal, someone's going to take advantage of you.

00:21:03.814 --> 00:21:08.395
If you're too defensive, though, people are going to think you're an ass.

00:21:09.464 --> 00:21:11.573
Yeah, that's true, that's true.

00:21:11.573 --> 00:21:16.375
And so learning how to determine who you can trust, who you're willing to work with, I think helps.

00:21:16.375 --> 00:21:18.039
Willing to work with, I think helps.

00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:26.913
But one thing I've also noticed is people tend to gravitate towards other people that share their perspectives or have similar viewpoints on the world.

00:21:26.913 --> 00:21:29.719
You know, for safety or whatever.

00:21:29.719 --> 00:21:34.476
Do you find that that's similar for you?

00:21:36.145 --> 00:21:40.721
Um, you know, no, actually, because it's made the case with some friends.

00:21:40.721 --> 00:21:46.497
Some of my friends have similar beliefs and some of my friends have similar interests, but that's not all of them.

00:21:46.497 --> 00:21:57.833
All of them is sometimes, is just because I like your personality, like my rule to be around me is you have to be nice and just know right from wrong.

00:21:57.833 --> 00:22:13.435
If you know that, I'll take you in and I may not like share the same beliefs as you or share the same moral compass as you, but am I still going to disregard you for that?

00:22:13.435 --> 00:22:18.277
No, I mean, I'm not going to disregard my friends who went railfanning.

00:22:18.277 --> 00:22:21.532
Am I going to squat about a train?

00:22:21.532 --> 00:22:23.248
No, what am I going to do with them?

00:22:23.248 --> 00:22:28.571
Because I want to spend time with them, yes, and hey, at the end of the day it makes them happy.

00:22:28.571 --> 00:22:30.113
So as long as they're happy, I'm happy.

00:22:30.857 --> 00:22:31.984
Sure, sure.

00:22:31.984 --> 00:22:46.538
I think there's very few genuine people like you in the world that are willing to be vulnerable up front in the name of clarity, to deepen relationships and actually get to know people.

00:22:46.538 --> 00:22:49.230
I think exactly what you're doing.

00:22:49.230 --> 00:22:59.836
Everybody should be taking notes because the perspective that you have on the world, I don't think it's wrong.

00:22:59.836 --> 00:23:10.752
It's certainly different because, like I said, it's not fake, it's not fabricated and you know who you are, you know how you come across to people.

00:23:10.752 --> 00:23:13.132
That's powerful insight, man.

00:23:13.132 --> 00:23:17.636
I think, if anything, you're selling yourself short just as a student.

00:23:17.636 --> 00:23:22.916
I think you've got way cooler and way more potential in your future coming your way.

00:23:22.916 --> 00:23:25.615
After the fact, what are your plans?

00:23:27.247 --> 00:23:27.627
we'll see.

00:23:27.627 --> 00:23:29.592
But, um, that's part of it.

00:23:29.592 --> 00:23:36.848
But maybe work at a radio station, I mean, you know, a lot of people have always wanted to go to like the big stars.

00:23:36.848 --> 00:23:38.554
It's just not me.

00:23:38.554 --> 00:23:38.874
I mean.

00:23:38.874 --> 00:23:40.867
I appreciate I get these opportunities.

00:23:40.867 --> 00:23:43.156
Maybe one day we'll grow autism rocks and rolls.

00:23:43.156 --> 00:23:48.230
But you know, I want to definitely remember my roots, and my roots was autism rocks and rolls and Rolls.

00:23:48.230 --> 00:23:54.599
But Autism Rocks and Rolls is podcast and podcasting is, at the end of the day, a form of radio.

00:23:54.599 --> 00:23:59.856
So I just want to be a small-town boy radio station, kind of is what I've been thinking.

00:23:59.856 --> 00:24:05.897
But hey, if I can grow Autism Rocks and Rolls into a bigger nonprofit like Goodwill, I'm happy with that too.

00:24:06.684 --> 00:24:07.785
Yeah, dude, absolutely.

00:24:07.785 --> 00:24:12.695
Are you familiar with a media corporation called Beasley Media Group?

00:24:13.657 --> 00:24:13.917
Mm-mm.

00:24:15.125 --> 00:24:16.767
So I can't remember their website.

00:24:16.767 --> 00:24:17.667
You'll have to look it up.

00:24:17.667 --> 00:25:03.007
But Beasley Media radio station in his small town and he did it for two years before he was able to buy another radio station and then expand his reach and further distribute Since then, over the last 70 years or so now since it started, Beasley Media Group is one of the most profitable media companies based in the United States of the most profitable media companies based in the United States, with the most radio stations, television channels and print publication outlets for their broadcast media empire that it's become now.

00:25:03.971 --> 00:25:05.027
Geez, I'd look into that.

00:25:05.710 --> 00:25:07.671
Yeah, man, and it started with small town radio.

00:25:07.671 --> 00:25:17.790
So you never know, dude, there's so many cool opportunities and, with enough ambition and and willpower, anything's possible.

00:25:17.790 --> 00:25:18.574
It just takes time.

00:25:18.574 --> 00:25:22.375
So let me, let me ask you this.

00:25:22.375 --> 00:25:25.654
This is a segment of the show that I call developing character.

00:25:25.654 --> 00:25:31.509
D D D, developing character, and there's a reason for this.

00:25:31.509 --> 00:26:00.179
I think everybody's value systems are the shortcuts to identity and relationships and communication, and so it's two questions Answer however you like, but my first question is as you were growing up, answer however you like, but my first question is as you were growing up, what were some of the values that you were exposed to, some of the qualities of life that you think started to impact you as a kid?

00:26:00.179 --> 00:26:00.921
Anything stand out.

00:26:02.345 --> 00:26:03.890
Well, I mean maybe kind of dark.

00:26:03.890 --> 00:26:07.887
But talking about the good, I mean it wasn't all good for me.

00:26:07.887 --> 00:26:10.653
I had all the exclusion bully and stereotyping man.

00:26:10.653 --> 00:26:11.314
It wasn't all good for me.

00:26:11.314 --> 00:26:12.556
I know the exclusion bully and stereotyping man.

00:26:12.556 --> 00:26:16.612
And it got to the point where I think, um, I danced with the devil at an early age.

00:26:16.612 --> 00:26:29.492
A lot of it was internal, just because I was just frustrated and because, no matter what I tried, I got pushed off for being different and it pushed me into a doomsday.

00:26:30.545 --> 00:26:43.593
President ended up in Davy Jones, walker, walker yeah, just a spiral a bit, and so dealing with all that, I mean building your perspective, you know, resiliency, how you viewed all of this bullying and stuff.

00:26:43.593 --> 00:26:44.335
What was that like?

00:26:45.667 --> 00:26:46.289
oh, awful man.

00:26:46.289 --> 00:26:48.596
It got so bad that a lot of people didn't know this.

00:26:48.596 --> 00:26:51.693
Not parents didn't know until I told them them.

00:26:51.693 --> 00:26:53.872
As an adult, at the age of 15, I wanted to drink.

00:26:53.872 --> 00:26:58.770
Because, I thought in my eyes it'd just be easier to sleep it off.

00:27:00.915 --> 00:27:03.488
Well, that's not true, yeah.

00:27:03.587 --> 00:27:05.414
I know that now, but I didn't see that 15.

00:27:06.528 --> 00:27:11.510
I get that I was the smallest kid in my class until probably I went to college.

00:27:12.644 --> 00:27:14.250
I don that I was the smallest kid in my class until probably I went to college.

00:27:14.250 --> 00:27:21.550
I don't think I even broke five feet tall until partway through high school, and I didn't really have any social skills to speak of in my opinion, especially in hindsight.

00:27:21.550 --> 00:27:26.729
But I'll tell you, it wasn't for the bullying.

00:27:26.729 --> 00:27:52.556
If it wasn't for the amount of exclusion that, at least in my head, I felt, because I didn't know how to fit into any of these groups, I don't know that I would have gotten to where I am now, because it gave me perspective, it gave me something to compare to, because I never want to feel that way again, and so now I have a podcast talking to people and, in my case, to learn better how people communicate.

00:27:52.556 --> 00:27:59.396
So you never know, there's all sorts of benefits that may help you out as you grow into the future as well.

00:27:59.396 --> 00:28:02.012
Saying that, I have another question for you, though.

00:28:02.012 --> 00:28:15.938
So now that you're older you're not 15 anymore of all the life experience you've gained, what are some of your values now that you find important to you?

00:28:17.246 --> 00:28:20.997
You don't judge a person based on their wrongings, but their rights.

00:28:20.997 --> 00:28:25.635
You know, you see, are they a good person just by being kind to one another?

00:28:25.635 --> 00:28:28.532
You know, I'm not a guy who judges a person on smartness.

00:28:28.532 --> 00:28:29.586
Should I?

00:28:29.586 --> 00:28:33.530
I probably should, but it's a smart thing, but it's not the right thing.

00:28:35.276 --> 00:28:35.757
Absolutely.

00:28:35.757 --> 00:28:39.434
How do you communicate that to other people?

00:28:39.434 --> 00:28:41.112
How do you communicate that to your friends?

00:28:41.112 --> 00:28:44.252
Just tell them repeatedly and hope it sticks, or what works.

00:28:44.875 --> 00:28:45.616
Hopefully.

00:28:45.616 --> 00:28:52.612
We sometimes have deep conversations, and once you get to know each other and they don't feel good about themselves or anything like that, they'll know.

00:28:52.612 --> 00:28:59.431
Like I'll tell you look, I'm not a guy who judges you based on you know, one stupid decision you made.

00:28:59.431 --> 00:29:01.194
Now there's a line.

00:29:01.194 --> 00:29:02.518
I do believe there is a line.

00:29:02.518 --> 00:29:08.351
That's just my opinion, but do I think, though, you make one mistake, you're screwed?

00:29:08.351 --> 00:29:16.099
Screwed, no, we all make them, we're human, but are you kind enough to be like well, yeah, I'm not going to take it on you.

00:29:16.099 --> 00:29:23.445
Okay, you're good, or are you going to learn from?

00:29:23.465 --> 00:29:23.727
this lesson.

00:29:23.727 --> 00:29:25.250
Yeah, okay, you're good, sweet, yeah.

00:29:25.250 --> 00:29:40.913
And that's a hard lesson learned too, because even I don't know whatever normal is, and if this conversation has taught anybody anything who's listening to this, myself included or watching this depending on what platform you're looking at it on I have no idea what normal is.

00:29:40.913 --> 00:29:54.315
I don't know, because to me, we're all on a spectrum of normal, so I don't think it makes any difference until you start saying this group shares this perspective on the world, or this group shares this perspective on the world.

00:29:54.315 --> 00:30:06.118
Well then, you're more like that group or you're more like that group, but all of you are still normal, and I think everything you're describing right now, sam, is exactly common.

00:30:06.118 --> 00:30:12.917
Nobody wants to deal with people that are rude or unkind to people.

00:30:12.917 --> 00:30:19.018
Everybody wants to hang out with somebody who's truthful and authentic and genuine and just a good person.

00:30:19.018 --> 00:30:28.579
So I think exactly what you're saying is about as truthful and as honest and objective as it could be.

00:30:29.726 --> 00:30:36.770
And, honestly, your past don't matter to me now, and it shouldn't Because I have one of the guests, jake the Snake Roberts, from wrestling.

00:30:36.770 --> 00:30:38.807
Did you really yeah?

00:30:39.851 --> 00:30:40.653
I'm going to look it up.

00:30:40.653 --> 00:30:42.330
I'm going to write it down right now so I can look it up.

00:30:42.505 --> 00:30:45.327
Well, this is his past for you, in case you don't know.

00:30:45.327 --> 00:30:46.925
He's had drug abuse.

00:30:46.925 --> 00:30:48.854
Clearly, I think that's been documented.

00:30:48.854 --> 00:30:51.694
His dad abuse clearly, I think that's been documented.

00:30:51.694 --> 00:30:53.424
His dad beat the crap out of him as a child for nothing.

00:30:53.424 --> 00:31:03.307
His mom's, his, I think, stepmom, sexually assaulted him and currently he has two grandchildren with autism and cerebral palsy.

00:31:03.307 --> 00:31:24.118
And now today he has copd, which means means he has trouble breathing, sure, but despite having trouble breathing, despite having his body invaded when he didn't want it, despite getting punched by his dad, he's still cracking and going with his grandchildren.

00:31:26.470 --> 00:31:30.872
Yeah, that's a powerful lesson too your past doesn't have to define you really?

00:31:33.246 --> 00:31:36.135
This message is from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

00:31:36.135 --> 00:31:47.796
Va disability compensation is a monthly tax-free payment to veterans who got sick or injured in the military and to veterans whose service worsened an existing condition.

00:31:47.796 --> 00:31:56.672
You may qualify for VA disability compensation for physical and mental health conditions that developed or worsened due to service.

00:31:56.672 --> 00:32:01.059
Learn more at vagov slash disability.

00:32:04.385 --> 00:32:06.130
Your past doesn't have to define you really.

00:32:07.092 --> 00:32:07.773
Absolutely not.

00:32:07.773 --> 00:32:12.592
I mean, it's important to know how you got to where you are, I think, so you don't repeat it if you don't want to.

00:32:12.592 --> 00:32:17.171
It gives you options, but, I agree, it certainly doesn't define who you are as a person.

00:32:17.171 --> 00:32:18.434
It doesn't have to anyway.

00:32:18.434 --> 00:32:22.191
So your podcast then Autism Rocks and Rolls.

00:32:22.191 --> 00:32:25.679
It's not only about autism, or what is it about?

00:32:26.689 --> 00:32:28.184
I put on their inspiring stories.

00:32:28.184 --> 00:32:30.430
I talk about the autism behavior.

00:32:30.430 --> 00:32:34.778
Sometimes I interview perspectives and their beliefs, but some of them aren't.

00:32:34.778 --> 00:32:42.036
They're literally like if you have to have Down syndrome, ocd.

00:32:42.036 --> 00:32:43.964
I want to make it as inclusive as possible.

00:32:43.964 --> 00:32:45.228
One could even just be a simple inspiring story.

00:32:45.228 --> 00:32:47.575
One great story Amberlee Snyder was on there once.

00:32:48.486 --> 00:32:52.357
She was going down truck and barrel racing.

00:32:52.357 --> 00:33:06.239
Well, unfortunately, in january of 2010 I think I think it was january, maybe february, I'm not for sure sometime in the 2010s I think she had a car truck accident, flipped it upside down, paralyzed her from the waist down.

00:33:06.239 --> 00:33:13.596
Doctor said you're not going to barrel race anymore because it's not possible with paralyzed legs.

00:33:13.596 --> 00:33:19.851
In the doctor's opinion, airely's response wasn't this exactly Screw you, I'm going to do it.

00:33:19.851 --> 00:33:28.971
And she is barrel racing today, really, yes, without the use of her legs, without the use of her legs.

00:33:28.971 --> 00:33:29.909
I think she has sources.

00:33:29.909 --> 00:33:36.647
But yeah, Wow, here's a great one mandy harvey.

00:33:36.647 --> 00:33:37.790
Unfortunately she's.

00:33:37.790 --> 00:33:47.393
She was a musician, I think, before, but and I think she had an ear infection, got sick and, uh, that ear infection caused her to lose her hearing.

00:33:47.393 --> 00:33:49.856
She's still playing music.

00:33:49.856 --> 00:33:51.640
How is that possible?

00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:57.673
Apparently, she takes her shoes off and apparently she feels the vibes through the floor.

00:33:57.692 --> 00:33:59.738
Wait a minute.

00:33:59.738 --> 00:34:07.428
Is this the lady that was on America's Got Talent, or something Bingo With what was it?

00:34:07.428 --> 00:34:08.871
Red hair, I think, Glasses, or something.

00:34:08.891 --> 00:34:10.436
Yep yep, yep, I saw this.

00:34:11.487 --> 00:34:11.987