I got double jabs today! Flu and COVID booster. I am so feeling relieved to get them done. I always treat my flu shot as a tribute to my dad, who died of pneumonia from the flu.
This is not the place to debate vaccines. I am only sharing my experience, and my own decisions for myself. It feels good to be able to make my own decisions about things like this! My body is fine with vaccines and I am glad to support my immunity and help make sure my family is protected too.
Such agency over our bodies is a major reason why communication must be available for all.
Friends of Danny! Are you ready for Small Business Saturday 2023? Because Danny’s store is!!! New merch up, with everything 15% of for today (11/25) only with code SBS2023
“Nonspeaking, Very Verbal” stickers in 3 sizes, plus some very special poetry + art collaboration cards, are now up, as well as some re-orders of his earlier cards! All available products are also in the photos here.
He’s decided to try running his own shopfront instead of using Etsy (which takes a pretty big chunk of earnings). We’re still getting the hang of Squarespace and appreciate your patience as we learn! And I appreciate your patience with me being so slow to get this up…
And yes, we’ve heard your requests for “Nonspeaking, Very Verbal” t-shirts, and are looking into the best options for high-quality t-shirts at a reasonable price and timeframe. It might not be ready by the holidays, unfortunately, but we will keep you updated!
Thank you so much for supporting his ventures! Earning money is a goal that is highly important to him personally, and he is also committed to sharing quality products with his community. Please let us know if you have any requests/suggestions, and we welcome any and all constructive feedback! And share the link with anyone who might be interested!
I am so grateful for you! It is still hard to believe that I have a global community of friends. It is such a gift. I can’t convey the loneliness of my life before communication access. Sadly, millions of nonspeakers remain without communication access today.
I am so thankful to International Association for Spelling as Communication (I-ASC) for their work building a global network of spellers and training cohorts of practitioners. And they truly welcome nonspeakers using any method of text-based communication. I know there are other organizations doing great work for nonspeakers, and I love that I-ASC is just part of a constellation of shining stars for us. But I focus on them here because they are staunchly committed to promoting speller voices in decision making and leadership, and because I am directly involved in their advocacy and leadership.
So allow me to suggest them as you think about who to give to on Giving Tuesday. Help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 by Tuesday, November 28, 2023, by clicking on the link here. #IASCu2Care #GivingTuesday
They are absolutely doing amazing work! Their efforts have been a major part of my new chapter of life. Thank you, I-ASC, for all that you do!
Your Friend,
Danny
Preparing to co-host SpellX 2020!My first big public gig, SpellX 2020With amazing Spellers & Allies friendsReflecting on my journey, Motormorphosis 2023Spelling with my little sister, one of my 3 main CRPs, at Thanksgiving last night
Dear Friends, I am so appreciating your kind condolences. It truly means a lot.
On Saturday night, I had a fantastic night out with friends. It cheered me up immensely. It was for my friend Jake’s birthday! There were several spellers there. It was my first time singing karaoke! I loved it! It was such a supportive group. Everyone sang along and was having fun. I found it so liberating!
It was a bit tricky to find the beat initially, with the kind of weird karaoke version of the music. But Tara sang next to me to help me! I chose to sing My Girl by the Temptations. It is such a sweet and upbeat song!
I want to practice karaoke at home. I think it will be helpful for me in my efforts to be able to pace my speech. That is a big goal of mine! I rush so much when I read aloud and sometimes when I speak. Pacing my words will greatly improve my communication.
Also, I love singing! It is a reliable indicator that I am happy if I am singing. Usually, it is accompanied by boisterous jumping around! So I love finding the courage to sing along with friends. I was so shy at first, but I found I can overcome it in the right company.
I wrote this poem about my love of singing. I can’t wait for the next karaoke party!
Your Friend, Danny
I WANT TO SING TO SING TO SING
I feel upwelling in my
Soul roughly where my
Chest meets my tummy
And it yearns to expand
Flow out into
The air the wind the sky
Beyond my all so limited body
Words all so free
Melodies created
In my throat and mouth
As the birds
As the bells
As my long-trapped
Dreams.
I am grieving the recent passing of two beloved relatives in Ireland. My aunt Dell, one of my dad’s sisters, died after months in palliative care, with her loving children caring for her. Then, some days later, one of her daughters, my cousin Jackie, died suddenly from heart failure. It is a difficult time for our family, especially for my cousins and surviving aunt and uncles. I feel pain for the loss of these two strong, loving women, and I feel pain for what their family is going through.
Dell was a force of joy and determination. To me, she resembled a sunbeam come to life. There was an energy to her that radiated! She was so positive and so supportive. I will miss her cheerleading comments on my writing online. I will miss how she made us feel so at home on our visits. I will miss her light.
Jackie was also a force, resilient and proud of her life. She was deaf, and she and I had a special bond over our shared struggles with access to reliable communication. I loved our chats! She was funny and perceptive and strong. I wish we’d had more time together.
The reason for my recent visit to Ireland was to say goodbye to Dell. I never suspected it would be my last time seeing Jackie. I am so grateful to have had these last memories with both of them. I am so wishing I could cry, but my body won’t let me. I am so very sad for this loss. My heart is with my family in Ireland.
I wrote these poems about them. I wrote many, but these I feel more comfortable sharing. Please think of these two remarkable people, and share in this appreciation of them.
Your Friend,
Danny
LIFE OF THE PARTY
She was so bright
In every sense of the word
All so bright
All around her light
Sunbeams come down to earth
And what a force
And I falter to explain
The warmth of that sunshine
On my face my heart my being
How it illuminated
A sense of home for me
And how I will miss it.
YOU WERE AMONG FLOWERS
The last time I saw you
You were absolutely
Glowing
Beaming
With the sunlight that
Persevered against the thick clouds
The garden looked so much better
Thanks to your tending
Tender and so strong
Flowers still
Even in autumn so bright
And we all smiling
Together.
I am so glowing from a few wonderful days! Feeling restless for so long had gotten me a bit down, but also is something I am learning to work through. I am still able to enjoy myself even if my body isn’t able to stay calm for very long. That is a great realization for me!
One of the enjoyable events lately was Angie Kim’s book tour visit to La Jolla. I had met Angie when we were both on the author’s panel at Motormorphosis this summer. She was so kind and fun to chat with, and is a true ally to spellers. Her latest novel, Happiness Falls, is about a nonspeaker at the heart of a mystery. It is already super successful, and is changing how people view nonspeakers! She also teaches creative writing to spellers at Growing Kids Therapy Center in Virginia.
My admired peer, Otto Lana, was one of the spellers involved in helping Angie with her manuscript. He also helped organize this event in La Jolla, hosted by Warwick’s bookshop and La Jolla Riford Library with Autism Tree. It was awesome to have several spellers and their families and supports in the audience, as well as many who attended without knowing about spelling or nonspeakers. I was so glad my body cooperated and I could sit and watch the whole thing. Otto was amazing as a panelist, and Angie was so fascinating to listen to. My mom and Tara were with me, and I was so glad to be enjoying this event with them.
Angie is a great example of how to be an ally. She was careful to research and ask actual nonspeakers about their perspectives and experiences. She showcases how a family evolves in how they see and treat their disabled loved one. She is careful to specify to readers that this is fictional, and that real methods and people like in the book exist and need to be properly understood. And she shares her platform and privilege, teaching people about nonspeakers and sharing expertise with nonspeaking students. See an example at the link here!
Also, she is an immigrant from East Asia, like me. I appreciated attending an event featuring an Asian-American author and her book about a biracial family. And it was just fun to be there with several friends!
I treasure my sign copy of Happiness Falls! I can’t wait to read it! Are you going to check it out?
I have been a bit out of my normal form. Just a lot of restlessness and maybe some burnout. It happens!
But today I managed to write this poem. It is about tonight, when I will have a bonfire and I will light candles for my dad and ancestors. It is my humble way to observe Samhain. Happy Halloween all!
Your Friend,
Danny
VISITING TIME, by Danny Whitty
Today the Santa Ana winds are at it again
All that dry energy
And the moon was full the other night
So bright, a portent in the
Wind-scoured dark sky
And it all in my nerves
And the spaces between
All so ready
For
A bit of
Time with you.
Wow, I feel so good today! It has been a while since I have felt this relaxed. My recent travels have been so tiring though fantastic, so maybe having time to rest has helped.
I am so loving the feeling of autumn. To those who say San Diego has no seasons, I say you are wildly imperceptive! The air feels different, the light is more gentle, the ocean looks more mysterious, and the arid landscape seems more spacious. The shorter days lead to an inward seeking, a sense of meaning that eludes explanation. I love it.
I am so intrigued by the origin of Halloween, the Irish tradition of Samhain (pronounced like Sawin). I recently learned that the original Jack-o-lanterns were carved from turnips! So funny! But what truly intrigues me is the idea that this is when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld is opened. What a profound notion. It is so fascinating to think about the idea of other realms and a special time where there is a portal to them. It is so interesting as a belief and as a way of seeing how our ancestors saw the universe. I am actually really interested in this kind of belief, and I want to learn more about it.
It is also fun to embrace the spooky side of the world! It is liberating in a way. I love somewhat macabre humor and ghoulish tales. I love dark and somewhat twisted gleeful storytelling! I am so going to try to learn more about movies and books and TV shows in this vein this October. Do you have recommendations?
I always profoundly appreciate visiting Dia de los Muertos celebrations, and find them so moving. I swear I feel such spiritual energy around the shrines! It is so powerful. I wish to better know of such celebrations and traditions from around the world. Do you have one to share with me?
This month, I will make an altar to my dad. I bought an altar mat in Japan back in March, as well as incense, and Tara bought me a beautiful ceramic vessel in Joshua Tree earlier in the year. It is important to me to have this symbolic place to focus my thoughts about him. I am so aware that some of you might think I am delusional, but this is so real to me.
How will you observe this transitional month? How does it make you feel? I am so eager to learn!
I just returned from another trip – to Phoenix, by car. This was for the Teva Community board retreat. I am so proud to be on this board. It is a wonderful group of mindful, effective, and fun people. I am learning so much from them! And my ideas are listened to with respect.
I myself will likely not be one of their future residents, because I hope to live in Ireland or elsewhere in Europe one day. But I love being part of the vision for Teva in Prescott, along with many other spellers on the advisory board and my fellow board member Ben Breaux. This is an exciting model for thriving and respectful communities for speller adults. It is ambitious, but our board is extremely capable.
We had a great retreat, with a lot more clarity on our goals and how to achieve them. I am excited for our next steps!
I was still tired from the Ireland trip, as was Tara. But we enjoyed this hop to Arizona, and time with our friends connected to Teva as well as a fun visit to Phoenix Art Museum and viewing the eclipse. And the long drive, while grueling at times, is scenic in many places and so meditative. And now I am relieved to be home with no more travel planned for this year!
So, it has been a while. I needed to take time away, both because of my trip and because I wanted to process a lot. It was a profoundly meaningful trip, for many reasons. I don’t want to share much about family matters, just that it was so important to spend time with loved ones. I also got to visit my great-grandparents’ graves for the first time and also got to visit the town where my grandmother and some of my dad’s siblings were born. And I got to visit my dad’s grave shared with my grandparents. All around me, I felt my family’s energy. It felt like home.
It was my longest time away from my mom, and also my longest trip with just Tara. I feel so proud of this! It was a lot for Tara to manage, along with coordinating all the arrangements and the emotional side of things with family, but she was so good at being my travel buddy. She and I had an awesome detour up to Donegal, where I had never been. Wow! It was so wild and yet calming. It was astounding.
I also got to meet with some local Spellers! I loved that. There is a lot to do for building community and expanding access to communication in the country. There are some strong advocates already, and I am excited to scheme with them in the future!
I am still jetlagged and my body is so confused. My regulation was very challenged in the second half of the trip after being over-tired, but I managed to stay calm even though I couldn’t sleep for several nights. I am so grateful I could maintain composure despite being on edge. One of my cousins in particular is so great at including me, and she helped me stay engaged in helping her cook one evening when my compulsions were particularly strong and Tara desperately needed some time alone. I loved that! There was no shaming, just joy in being together.
I have been struggling with restlessness and dysregulation since coming home. But it is not too bad. There is so much to process! And I am so eager to share more in the future. For now, hello again, and it is nice to be back!
Danny With Words 