Dear Friends,

Well, the dysregulation seems to have passed. I have had a few calm days. What a relief!

That there might be more dysregulated days around the corner is none of my concern in the now.

Yesterday was a fantastic day. I took a Lyft from my house to La Jolla Cove to meet Tara, and saw so many adorable baby sea lions frolicking in the water, though we decided that conditions for snorkeling weren’t good. Then we ended up at Pipes in Encinitas, a nice beach and surfing spot. The waves were crashing right on shore, and I had fun watching them but it was a bit scary. Tara sensed that I wanted to swim but was too afraid, so she coached me out to a section without surfers and helped me duck under the waves. It was so much fun to swim past the breaking waves! The water was the perfect temperature, just a bit of chill that was so refreshing. I had a great time floating like an otter, and sometimes diving down and feeling the water surround me.

Then I relaxed on the beach. It was so calming. I am such a beach bunny.

Then we got tacos for lunch. How much better can a day get?

There are so many parts of this day that are only possible with spelling. The ability to direct my days and to share my goals and preferences was essential to me having such a day. From being able to take a Lyft on my own, to being able to enjoy ocean activities, to being able to request specific restaurants for lunch, my agency shaped by my spelling allowed me to be the driver of my day.

That means a lot to someone who went decades without it.

That and having support like Tara makes this new life possible.

I hope you have some nice days coming your way soon.

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

Today was a nice day, and that is worth sharing. Dysregulation has been on and off for a couple of weeks, with a lot of shouting and angry outbursts. But at least it has not been as bad as it used to be. And I try to enjoy the brief breaks in between dysregulated times.

Today was one such break. I asked to go to dog beach, because it is a lovely spot for all of us. I love being by the crashing waves when my energy is high and unstable. It calms me to be close to the ocean’s force when I am feeling a bit out of control myself. And Riko truly loves the beach! She comes so alive with joy whenever we go there. That is so nice to see. She is a timid dog most of the time, but she seems so happy and confident at the beach. And my mom hardly gets to see the sea up close if we don’t bring her.

So Tara drove us there. We had the nicest time. Riko stayed by me as I waded and walked, and I loved her companionship. Tara brought her beach umbrella so Riko wouldn’t get too hot, and it was so nice to hang out in the shade while watching the waves. It was so relaxing.

I am so grateful that I can do things like that. It is such a gift to spend time in nature. And to do so with loved ones is even better.

I hope you get to have some nice moments in nature soon.

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

I have had the worst dysregulation in a long time, probably in this year, in the past several days. I finally feel like myself again. This was not nearly as severe as in past years, which I am so grateful for. But it is still disheartening when a rough spell comes by.

My goodness, I was so loud. Shouting and stimming. Getting stuck in loops that I would shout over and over. I was so sick of it, but couldn’t stop.

I also kept harassing my mom by getting in her face and shouting. It is so stressful for her. I hate doing it. And I felt kind of high, like I was floating and not in my body. It was so unpleasant.

I honestly have no idea what triggered it. That is so frustrating. I am at a loss. I have run through sensible possibilities, but none seems to be a good explanation.

I am still on edge a bit. But it is much calmer than yesterday. So I will bask in this feeling of relief.

I hope you are all keeping well.

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

I had a wonderful time in Tucson! It was great to be with so many spellers and allies at the Building Bridges Conference. It was more low key than Motormorphosis, which made it pretty easy to cope with energy-wise. But there was still a lot of good information shared and friends to reunite with and make anew. It was well-organized and had a lot of heart.

It was such an honor to be the motivational presenter at the end of the day. I am so a person who loves being on stage, but not just for my ego. I love using my words to make a difference. The chance to share my thoughts and experiences with a room full of nonspeakers, families, and professionals always means so much to me.

It was so meaningful to meet so many people who shared that my work has helped them. I am always so moved by that. And I enjoyed seeing several local spellers presenting, including teens who are already remarkable presenters.

I want to thank Tucson Spellers for inviting me and for organizing a great conference. I loved being there with you all!

This has inspired me to expand what I do for our community.

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

I am so excited to be the motivational presenter for next weekend’s Building Bridges conference in Tucson! Tara shared the flyer yesterday, and I want to share some thoughts today.

I have been so fortunate in my new life to have had several opportunities to present publicly. I absolutely love it! The public stage is my place. I feel so energized by it.

And I am still absolutely in awe of the fact that I get to present to an audience. It has been about six years since my first big opportunity to be a presenter, as the west coast emcee for SpellX 2020. And I still can’t quite believe that it is real when I get asked to present now. To have people request my words is such a wild change from my life pre-spelling.

The chance to help others with my chosen words is such a profoundly fulfilling part of my life now. This is not about being famous. It is about having a platform to make the world better.

But I also like the fame a bit, too. To be recognized for my efforts is so meaningful, and my ego deserves some boosting after decades of being put down.

I am having a lot of fun preparing my presentation for next Saturday. I appreciate Tucson Spellers for inviting me! I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

Oh my goodness, it is so hot these days! Whew. I am so in slug mode. I just want to rest and relax.

Tara took a much-deserved surf trip last week. I was glad she could get away and have fun for a bit. But I always miss her, so I feel so delighted that she is back. I am so lucky in my sisters!

This heat is so tough on my body. I am not alone in this, I know. I know that many of my speller friends struggle in the heat. It makes our baseline regulation more difficult to maintain. That is on top of how much work it is to stay regulated even in more comfortable conditions. So if your speller is having a tough time in the heat, know that they are not alone.

Luckily, Tara and I have lots of ocean time planned for this week. And we are entering “summer for locals,” when schools are back in session and tourists go home and we revel in our less crowded coastlines.

Not much to share in this post, but I just wanted to drop a quick note and say hi!

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

I am so glad to share that I have had some nice ocean time lately. It had been a while since I had last snorkeled, due to conditions not being great during my windows of ocean time. Finally, we got in with our masks and snorkels twice this week! The water feels great in the heat. And I feel that my comfort in the water has leveled up.

The visibility wasn’t amazing, but it was good enough. I loved seeing so many small bat rays! They are so pretty. And I got to see a horn shark for the first time. And the usual leopard sharks and some guitarfish. Plus so many garibaldi and some rambunctious sea lions. The ocean here is truly a wonderland!

We posted a video of these excursions here on YouTube.

I am still building my skills and stamina. It is hard to keep my mouth closed around the snorkel, so water leaks in. I also move my face in ways that cause leaks in my mask. So I have work to do. But I am still able to get out there and enjoy the underwater world. That is such a gift.

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

It has been a very full couple of weeks! I won’t attempt to do it all justice here. But I am all aglow from it.

The main thing is of course Motormorphosis. Wow! It gets better each year. The time with old friends and new was so heartwarming. And I love the energy of the conference! I learned a lot from my peers and was able to share a lot as well. I met so many of you! Thank you for saying hi.

Special congratulations to my dear friend Gregory C. Tino! He was chosen as this year’s Landen Bosak Advocacy Award winner. I loved being part of the team that announced his name. If you don’t follow him on Facebook or YouTube yet, I suggest you do.

It is so meaningful for me to meet any of you, but meeting young spellers who look up to me is what makes me feel the most moved. I am so processing what it means to be for them the figure that I so wish I’d had when I was a kid. It is powerful and almost overwhelming in a good way.

And then the travel part was so smooth. We were all a bit anxious about the possibility of another panic attack on the plane. We were prepared, but it was still on our minds. But thankfully, I was able to keep calm. It was a relief!

I also worked on more skills for being more independent in the hotel. The main thing was putting away my worn clothes after showering instead of leaving them on the bathroom floor for Tara or my mom to pick up. It went well! I felt pretty proud.

I enjoyed a gym session and some nice outside walks. I think I am starting to be a truly middle-aged man, because I sincerely preferred working out and quiet early nights to staying out late with friends. I loved getting into my pajamas by 8 pm on the last night! But I did have lots of fun with friends, too.

Then I came home and celebrated my 41st birthday. It was nice and relaxed! I am feeling more positive and grounded then when I turned 40.

This has been a full and happy couple of weeks! Thank you all for being with me.

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

Wow, the most wonderful time of the year is here! Motormorphosis is this week!

We leave tomorrow. My mom and Tara are coming with me. I am having fun packing! To think I will be surrounded by friends and allies in a welcoming and understanding environment, immersed in sharing and learning, in a couple of days is thrilling. This is truly a highlight of my year.

Please say hi if you are there. I might look overwhelmed or tired, but I will be thrilled to see you.

That is all I have to post for now. This is so exciting!

Your Friend,

Danny

Dear Friends,

My goodness, Motormorphosis is next week! How did that happen?

If you are not familiar: Motormorphosis is an annual conference held by I-ASC (International Association for Spelling as Communication). It is a conference for and largely by spellers. It is such a fantastic event! It is so inclusive of nonspeakers, and it is a giant reunion of friends. I can’t do it justice.

I will be part of two presentations and two panels. Whew! I am so excited for them, and for being surrounded by friends old and new. This is such a highlight of the year.

I hope to see some of you there. Please say hi if you see me!

There is still time to register!

I have been feeling so rundown with the humid heat we have been having here. Ick! But I am perking up as Motormorphosis gets closer.

Your Friend,

Danny