True Tales by Disability Advocates
Where advocates harness the power of storytelling to build community with their peers and hope to develop empathy in others. A team of disability advocates creates this True Tales podcast to share personal stories by disabled storytellers and add their voices to the growing community of podcast listeners.
True Tales by Disability Advocates
Keep Calm and Carry On
Guest Kamand Alaghehband: Kamand Alaghehband was born in Austin, TX, and has autism. Kamand has spent her life supporting all generations with disabilities. Kamand loves the Special Olympics; her favorite sports are swimming, basketball, and track. She is a member of the Executive Committee of Special Olympics Athletes Leadership in Texas. She creates podcasts, TikTok videos, video games, and health activities. Kamand’s mission within her population is to bring peace today and create a vision for tomorrow’s disabled population. Watch Kamand’s videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mespecial8588.
Click here to listen with the full transcript.
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Segments of this podcast were read by an automated voice. Inconsistencies in pronunciation and tone may occur.
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Welcome to True Tales by Disability Advocates podcast, authentic voices of people thriving with disabilities. Where individuals use the art of storytelling to change the world. True Tales is produced by Art Spark Texas Speaking Advocates Program. Keep listening to hear how life's challenges can spark a desire to speak out and advocate for ourselves and others.
MsBoye:Welcome to a new episode of True Tales by Disability Advocates. In this episode titled,"Keep Calm and Carry On" we present two stories that reflect the meaning of that message originally created by Britain's wartime propaganda department, the Ministry of information. This quintessentially British statement reminds us all that self regulation in difficult situations can help us handle anything life throws our way. First we'll hear from Storyteller Cindy Massey, a talented photographer and artist, who will share her story,"Finding Family". Her unbelievable adventure in Africa, where she faces life threatening challenges and moments of amazing resilience. While on this trip of a lifetime, Cindy finds surprising connections in the most unlikely of places, reminding us that support and understanding can come from unexpected sources. In the second half of the show, we welcome back podcast working group member and host, Kamand Alaghehband, as a storyteller. Kamand is a dedicated Special Olympics Athlete and Advocate with Autism. We were excited to find her original Live Showcase performance of her story,"Stay on Track", which is about facing a stressful situation on the morning of a Special Olympics track meet, that had the potential of ruining her whole day. Her story teaches us that no matter the hurdles that pop up in our path, staying focused and supporting one another can lead to success. The True Tales by Disability Advocates Podcast stories have been shared with the full consent and consideration of the individuals involved, honoring their autonomy and experiences. Together, these narratives remind us that we all have resilience inside us, especially in the face of challenging situations. In this episode once again we use the magic of AI generated voices to keep the integrity of the story and the conversations by replacing any sections lost during the original recording process. Get ready for these incredible tales that celebrate the strength within us all and the value of unity and perseverance. Let's join hosts Kaye Love and Jennifer McKinney as they dive into these True Tales by Disability Advocates.
Kaye:Welcome to True Tales by Disability Advocates podcast. I am Kaye Love, your host. Today Storyteller, Cindy Massey will share her story,"Finding Family." I am glad to have this opportunity to speak with her today and learn more about her adventures. So welcome Cindy.
Cindy:Thank you.
Kaye:Before you share your story, please introduce yourself to our audience.
Cindy:Well, uh, I am a photographer and artist. Uh, some say I am very good at both. I used to be a wedding photographer, before my car wreck. After I turned my, after that, I turned myself into a landscape photographer. Uh, I'm a recovered alcoholic and drug addict, one day at a time. I live one day at a time after the wreck january 16th of'92 that was my last drink or drug.
Kaye:Congratulations on that, and thank you for sharing. Now, please share your story with us.
Cindy:Uh, I'm supposed to talk now? laughs) All right. This is my story"Finding Family." I am a very good photographer and artist. I used to be a wedding photographer, before my car wreck. after that, I turned myself into a landscape photographer which I am very good at too. I used to be an alcoholic and drug addict but after the wreck january 16th of'92 that was my last drink or drug. In fifth grade, I did my first term paper on the"Nation of my Choice." So, I chose Africa because I have loved big cats ever since I was a youngster. Um, and ever since I wrote this term paper on the"Cats of Africa", the lion, leopard, and my favorite, the cheetah, I said,"I'm gonna go to Africa one day." I've said that most of my life, and when my mother died in October 9th, of 2010, it worked out that my sister and I would get$50,000 and a little bit, until I'm, I was 80. I thought"New car?""Pay off my house?", which I should have done, but then I thought, No, The way life is going, I don’t want to live to my eighties I'm going to Africa." I grew up on a campground, that we built and I thought, I can handle a African camping trip!" Little did I know! I wasn't using the tour company to book the flight. I set everything up I did this all myself, I got everything together. My friend, Don came and picked me up and took me to the airport to fly first to Atlanta then to, to Johannesburg. Not long into the flight to Atlanta, I almost had a heart attack when I realize I left my battery to my$800 digital camera on the wall at my house. I searched through all my stuff, no battery. It was a sixteen hour flight. I spent the whole flight in a panic. But then I thought,"When I get to Johannesburg well, maybe I can get to a camera shop and I'll be able to buy a battery for my camera?" I didn't get into the city until 8:00 PM on the Saturday night, and I was tired, so I thought I would get a battery the next day before we, uh, left for the safari. It turned out that on Sunday, all the stores are closed in Africa. People told me,“You can pick one up on the way to the next place.” yeah, right! I could have bought some of those Kodak, throwaway" cameras, but I didn't. I wanted my 800 Dollar digital camera. We went into village after village and there was no camera shops. It wa, it wasn't a tourist safari, so we went into village after village with no avail, no camera batteries anywhere to be found. It turned out that I was the first one booked on this English safari. I already got my air tickets and the next day, the woman who I was booking through, Marguerite, with"Eyes on Africa" called me and told me that eleven Italians registered for the trip. Sighs) They didn't speak any English, and she told me,"Well, maybe you should go on a different safari?" And I said,"I already got my tickets, so no, I'm going on this one." I spend so much time alone at home and so, I thought I'd have some company on the, uh, Safari but there I was, just me and eleven Italian people, who could not speak any English. So, the first night we were cooking spaghetti to make the Italians feel at home in the bush of Africa. On the sixth day, my guide Mike and I took a walk to the bath hutt, and he was telling me about the giraffes who eat the top of the trees, so I was looking up not down. Mike knew about my eye, I have partially detached optic nerve in my left eye and I can't see very well looking down, I need someone tell me if there's something dangerous in front of me on the ground, so I could step over or go around it. Before I got halfway down the path, I tripped over this, this big tree across the path, and I knew that as soon as I fell, fell that it was serious. I cried for help, and tried to breathe, but I knew I’d broken a rib. The next day, we were due to be back in the place where we started, where I could get some medical help, so, I knew, that I wouldn’t be out in the middle of nowhere for long. We started to the next camp and so Mike said it would take, uh, three hours to get there. We were traveling in a open air truck that holds 12 people, pulling a trailer full of baggage. Six hours later, we still haven't found the place yet. We were going up and down sand dunes, up and down, up and down, on the day, that I broke my rib! I felt, every sand dune, I felt every bump, right there, in my rib Every once in a while, the bag, baggage trailer would get stuck in the sand and everyone but me and the driver would have to get off the truck and free up the trailer and then they piled back in. It was getting dark and we were getting tired. We were afraid we'd be caught out in the dark in the bush. All of a sudden I heard this Italian man say something like"Leopard", and we turned our heads and we saw a wild leopard, there in the bush of Africa. A leopard who wanted some Italian food. Before we got to too scared a big tow truck came and pulled us out of the sand dunes and the leopard was of course scared off. At least the others in our camp had food for us when we returned. I went to my cabin tired, glad to be out of the truck, ribs still hurting. Later that night, I tripped and fell on my belly over the lip of the tent I was sleeping in in. I yelled out, really loud, and one of the men came to help me.“What are we going to do with you?” he asked me. Right there and then I knew I couldn't go on the last leg of the trip to Victoria Falls. Camping in the bush was harder than I'd ever thought. My fourteen day safari turned into a seven day trip. Before I left the camp, I took a trip in a helicopter to fly over the Okavango Delta that I would have been camping in for three days. I have no idea how much I paid for it! After just a few minutes up in the air, the pilot turned to me and said,"Look down there to the right," and there were two female lions and one male lion standing in the water below. The guide made a reservation for a flight back to the States. I got a ride back to Johannesburg Airport dragging my big luggage bag behind me and my camera on my shoulder. I go up to the airline ticket desk and told the woman that I have reservations on the two o'clock PM flight to Atlanta, Georgia. She tells me that the flight isn't until 2:00 PM the next day! My guide had dropped me off 23 hours ahead of time?! I I started to freak out, but I couldn't freak out. I knew I had to pull myself together. I asked myself,“What would Dad do?” Then I thought, AA!... They're all over the world". It was almost impossible to get in touch with Intergroup, which is the headquarters for AA, for all regions. The payphones didn't work or I couldn't figure them out, so I got someone to make a call for me to intergroup. I couldn't understand the man who I finally reached, because his accent was so, so thick. He told me that all the AA meetings were done for the day... were already over. I told him about the jam I was in and asked him for help. He didn't know what to do, so he offered to come pick me up and take me to his place for the night, and I wasn't(laughs) too sure about that being a good idea. I, I wasn't too sure that was a good idea, but I didn't have much of a choice. It was either that or spend the night in Johannesburg Airport. And since he was in AA, I trusted him to help me. We met at the food court as we arranged. He grabbed my luggage bag and I grabbed my camera and off we went to his place. It was getting dark by that time, we were, we're driving on back roads for a long time and I'm getting worried that something bad was gonna happen to me. Wondering if he was gonna rape me and throw me to the lions and no one would know what happened to Cindy on her trip to Africa. But we finally got there, to this little shack in the bush of Africa. We went in and he said,"There is where you will sleep." It was a blanket with a pillow in the corner on the floor of the, of the small shack. Thank God I had my nighttime meds and a bottle of water. Or I wouldn't have had gotten any sleep. I wanted him to wake me up early, because he said we'd go to a ten-thirty meeting. So that's what we did. Their AA meetings are an hour and a half long. It was cool! It was just like the AA meetings in the U.S.. Alcoholics are everywhere, every kind of person, every shape, every country. Alcohol has eaten up so many people's lives that the sober ones of us, are tight. We're like family. I don’t have any blood family, but I found family there when I really needed it and I'm still here to tell about it today.
Kaye:Welcome back. I'm still here with Cindy.
Cindy:Hey. Kaye, can you see me?
Kaye:Nope, but we can hear ya, and that's the important part here. So we're good. If you want to be seen, you're welcome to, but if not, we just need, we just need your, um, we just need your voice.
Cindy:Well, I wanna be seen.
Kaye:Okay.
Cindy:And I can't see where... There we go
Kaye:All right.
Cindy:All right.
Kaye:Good to see you. Yeah, we're just recording audio today. But we're glad to see you while we're doing this and have you here with us. Okay. Cindy, that was quite a challenging adventure. I'm glad you were able to get help and made it back.
Cindy:Yeah, me too. Yeah, I've and I just, I just remembered, uh...uh, when I flew to Atlanta, it, this isn't in here, I guess I take it out for time restraints. Uh, when I flew to Atlanta, I had a six hour overlay. So, I went, I took my stuff and went to a taxicab and said,"Take me to a camera shop." And he took me to Target. Oh my God, I could have gotten out and gotten a battery at Target and, and I didn't, I didn't think. I thought I had to go to a camera shop. Yeah. I just thought of that, man. I could have made my whole trip perfect, you know, but I didn't do it. Oh, well.
Kaye:Okay. It's all a process. I'm wondering Well, what went through your mind when you were up close with that leopard?
Cindy:Oh my, I thought... he, he was watching us all pile out of this truck and push this thing and, and pile back in and he wanted one of those Italian people. I, I just felt it in my gut that he was waiting for us to pile out and he was gonna take one of us. That's what I thought.
Kaye:Wow, that must have been frightening!
Cindy:Yeah, it was.
Kaye:Oh, and I know that, that leopard inspired, and those cats inspired some great artwork too.
Cindy:Yeah....
Kaye:Before you said that you changed from wedding photography to landscape photography. Tell us a little bit more about your passion for photography and this transition to landscape photography.
Cindy:Well, uh, you know, just being fresh, fresh into the world of head injury. Uh, You can't move as fast or think as fast. Um, so that sort of took me outta wedding photography. You know, going into landscape photography, I don't have to worry about the Grand Canyon getting up and moving on me. So, it was pretty easy, edy, easy transition.
Kaye:That sounds like a very creative way to adapt and accommodate yourself. So congratulations on that. And it's also amazing that you were able to find help from an AA member in a foreign country like that. Tell us more about how AA came to feel like family for you, that you were able to make that leap of, of trust.
Cindy:Well, in Two Thousand Ten, I had, uh, Two Thousand Ten... So I had ten, twenty... I, I had twenty years of sobriety under my belt at that time. And so I knew that we, uh, we can count on each other. And so, I, I just figured I could count on this guy, you know?
Kaye:That's, great. And so what do you hope that you, the audience will take with them from hearing your story today?
Cindy:Well, I hope that, uh, people understand that... they can do whatever they want. And whatever happens,... you can... manage whatever happens.
Kaye:Right, whatever happens, you can manage it. That's a great, a great lesson to, for us to take with us. And your, your story certainly did show that.
Cindy:All right!
Kaye:Thank you for being here to share your story today, and I have really enjoyed talking to you.
Cindy:Yeah, me too. I'm, I'm glad you're all there doing this. It's, uh, it's gonna be a, a great help to many people...
Kaye:Awesome, I hope so as well. So, if you would like to see some of Cindy's art, you can link to it on the notes below.
Cindy:Yeah. So, um, where can I find season one?
MsBoye:Cindy, MsBoye here. If you go to our website at www. artsparktx. org, and then go to the podcast tab, all the episodes are there. And once this episode is released, we'll send you the direct link, so you shouldn't have any problem listening. Oh, and, and you can listen on your phone or your computer, whatever works best for you.
Cindy:Okay. All right, well nice meeting all y'all.
MsBoye:Thank you, ma'am.
Cindy:Thank you.
MsBoye:Bye.
Cindy:See ya. Bye.
Jennifer:Welcome back to True Tales by Disability Advocates, changing the world one story at a time. I'm Jennifer McKinney, and I'm your host. I'm here with storyteller Kamand Alaghehband. Thanks for joining us today.
Kamand:Thank you for having me.
Jennifer:We're so happy to have you back. Last time we spoke, you were interviewing me, so this is a bit of a role reversal. It'll be fun and different. I'm looking forward to it. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself? How about telling us something people would be surprised to know about you? Something even friends like me may not even know.
Kamand:Hi everyone, my name is Kamand Alaghehband. I'm 29 years old and I have Autism. I'm a full-time student at nonPareil Institute in Austin. They teach us how to design video games from scratch. I've been participating in the Special Olympics, not only in sports, but also fundraising and leadership throughout the years. Last year, they elected me to become a member of their Executive Committee of Athletes Leadership in South Region of Texas. Since this happened, during Pandemic, I actively created fun activities such as cooking, baking, stretching, exercising, and dancing virtually on an almost monthly basis by S O T X TikTok, that's at Special Olympics, Tx, and my own podcast. This opened a door for me to understand our athletes, their wants and needs and their challenges. During my podcast interviews with athletes, I've noticed a lot of them are suffering from stress, so I created an online group to paint freestyle together, so we can get to know each other and paint whatever we want. There are no restriction to age or abilities to what you paint. The main idea is to empty your stress. You don't need to even be an athlete to participate, so anybody who is interested is invited.
Jennifer:Wow, there is a lot there that I didn't know about you, Kamand. Sounds like you're being quite the Social Media Influencer! Pretty soon I'll be able to tell people that I knew you before you were famous, heheha! So let's hear your story.
Kamand:This is"Stay on Track" by Kamand Alaghehband. Okay. Take a breath. My friends make me feel really excited. I feel excited because I love hanging out with them. When I hang out with my friends we play sports together. Our recent sport activity is track. Because my teammates are supportive we all motivate each other to be active, so that we can be the best. My friends are very dependable teammates. We work hard at swim practice, and then we do fun things together like picnics. Spending time with my teammates makes me feel excited. I have special teammates on my track team. They're special because we all have to work together to be successful. I really love being on sport team, with them it is more fun than if I was on a team with strangers. We love being silly together. It helps us bond so that we are able to work together to win. I don't like it when people promise me to do something and then they don't. For example, last Saturday I was supposed to attend a track and field competition. My coach told me to be there at 8:00 AM because I was asked to deliver the oath at the Opening Ceremony. That's a big honor, so I was super excited. However, my excitement quickly turned to anxiety when my attendant, Sarah, failed to show up at 7:30. I was ready to go at 7:25 AM I waited, and waited, and waited. Forty-five minutes later and my attendant was still missing in action. Because Sarah's normally a very reliable person and is always on time, I was worried, concerned, and frustrated. My mom called her several times and left messages for her and no answer. Luckily, my mom was off from work that day and was able to give me a ride to the track. We were so lucky to get to the stadium in time, so I was able to announce the oath to the athletes at the Opening Ceremony. My coach was so happy that I made it. I was happy that I didn't let my teammates down, but I was still worried about my attendant and wondered what possibly could have happened to her? However, I knew I had to control my emotions and be strong for my team to win. So when it was my turn to compete I tried to do my best. I had a 400 meter walk. In my race I try not to wonder about my attendant and only focus on the track, my moves and my team that was cheering me to win. I felt so proud and relieved when I got the first place with my 400 meter walk. I won a gold medal at 400 meter walk and a silver medal at Javelin at the competition. After my race was over, the coach said I can go home, but I didn't. I knew I had a bigger responsibility to be there for my team and support them when they compete in the races. In the end, everything went all right. I supported them until the end of the event and my team won. I learned an important lesson, no matter what challenges life throws at you, you need to be focused to achieve your goals and support your friends. It helps to keep a cool head and not freak out. Thank you.
Jennifer:Welcome back. I'm hanging out with my friend, Kamand. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Kamand. I don't know about our listeners, but I was on the edge of my seat. I'm so glad you made it in time and stayed for your teammates afterwards. It's clear that Special Olympics are a big part of your life. What are the events that you've participated in and won any medals?
Kamand:I've participated in swimming, basketball, and track and field, although I've won many gold medals in different occasions. I don't believe in winning in any sport activities should matter. What really should matter is for you to show up and be present no matter what you feel or capable of doing that day.
Jennifer:Very cool. You sound like a true team player. Your teammates are lucky to have you. You really embody the Special Olympics oath."Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." I'd say the whole organization is lucky to have you as an ambassador. You said you are a member of the Executive Committee of Special Olympics Athletes Leadership in Texas. But it must have taken a while before you were experienced enough to be asked. How many years have you been participating in the Special Olympics organization?
Kamand:I've been participating in Special Olympics since I was 16, for 13 years.
Jennifer:So it's been part of your life for a long time. After all these years, you must be quite the athlete. Congratulations for sticking with it and..."WAY TO GOOOO!!" It sounds like you are particularly enjoying team sports. Which sport is your favorite and why?
Kamand:Oh, okay. Okay. I love basketball simply because it brings teamwork, spirit. It makes you understand and respect others abilities and disabilities, and develop your skills around those boundaries to make your team shine. Definitely. Basketball's my favorite sport to participate in and to watch.
Jennifer:I agree. You know, basketball games are really exciting and fast moving, but sometimes they're a little too fast for me to keep up! On a different note, I'm looking forward to checking out the videos on your Instagram feed and your podcast. We will post links to them in the show notes and on our True Tales by Disability Advocates Facebook page. Kamand, I have to let you know that I am so impressed at your ability to stay healthy physically and mentally. I also like how you share that passion with your fellow athletes. We could all do with some encouragement to stay healthy. Thanks for being here today and sharing your time and your enthusiasm with us.
Kamand:Thank you Jennifer, and thank you for having me on the show. It was fun.
Jennifer:Well, all that's left for me to say is,"Go Kamand, go!"
Kamand:Okay! Bye bye.
MsBoye:Thank you for listening to"Keep Calm and Carry On". Your hosts for this episode were
Kaye:Kaye Love
MsBoye:and
Jennifer:Jennifer McKinney
MsBoye:For this episode
Kaye:Our show was produced by Brittany Sesam and Jennifer McKinney, and edited and mixed by MsBoye.
MsBoye:The production team on both stories also includes Kaye Love and Kamand Alaghehband.
Kaye:Special thanks to our guests,
Jennifer:storyteller Kamand Alaghehband
MsBoye:and storyteller Cindy Massey I'm MsBoye, Producer of True tales by Disability Advocates podcast. If you too believe that now is the time for Disabled voices to be heard, if you believe elevating Disabled voices will change the world, you, too, can be a part of the revolution by sharing this episode with at least one friend. It's simple. And if you're feeling particularly revolutionary, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or even our Facebook page. And remember what Cindy said,
Cindy:"Whatever happens,... you can... manage whatever happens."
Kristen:All episodes of The True Tales by Disability Advocates are free on Apple podcast, Spotify and anywhere you get your podcast. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Texas State Independent Living Council, the Administration for Community Living and individuals like you. To learn more about The Speaking Advocates Program, sign up for our newsletter at artsparktexas.org, that's A R T S P A R K T X dot O R G. This free virtual training program is open to people of all disabilities, no matter where you live.
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