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
Smashing Ableism: Tales of Resilience
Hey there, listeners! Welcome back to episode twenty of our podcast 'True Tales by Disability Advocates'. Ready for a deep dive into the theme of 'Smashing Ableism: Tales of Resilience'? Well, we've got two fantastic disability advocates with us - the brilliant Alina Arredondo and the charming Peter Richter. In this episode, they open up about their own life journeys filled with challenges, advocating for disability rights, supportive grandparents, and above all, demonstrating immense resilience. Alina pours her heart out about standing up for her rights and Peter shares golden nuggets on how gratitude supports his resilience. So, tie your seatbelts, folks! Tune in, and get ready for these genuinely enlightening narratives. Trust us; it's not just an episode, it's a vibe that will
spark transformations!
Guest 1
Alina G. Arredondo is a native El Pasoan who was diagnosed with Phocomelia. She does not allow her disability to be an excuse for why she cannot do certain things. Alina has a license Master in social work and currently works at the local independent living center where she empowers adults with disabilities to live as independently as possible. During her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, dogs, and friends, panting, and singing. However, what she enjoys the most is helping out her community by volunteering with multiple agencies around the El Paso area.
https://www.gograd.org/resources/students-with-disabilities/
Guest 2
Peter Richter grew up in San Antonio and attended school and graduated from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. He has two brothers and one sister and a dog he loves named Winnie. He lives with two roommates and enjoys working at his job at Whataburger. Peter has been involved with Art Spark and was an original actor with TILT Performance Group where he was in productions for 10 years.
Hosts: Jennifer Howell and Joey Gidseg
Click here to listen with the full transcript.
For more details about our programs go to Art Spark Texas, True Tales Podcast Page.
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Welcome to The True Tales by Disability Advocates, authentic voices of people. thriving with disabilities. Where individuals use the art of storytelling to change the world. The True Tales by Disability Advocates Podcast is produced by Art Spark Texas, Speaking Advocates Program. Keep listening to hear how lives challenges can spark a desire to speak out and advocate for yourselves and others.
MsBoye:Welcome to episode twenty of True Tales by Disability Advocates podcast, where we're diving into"Smashing Ableism: Tales of Resilience". In this episode storytellers Alina Arredondo and Peter Richter share their stories highlighting resilience in the face of ableism. The cohosts for this episode, Jennifer Howell and Joey Gidseg are along for the ride, chatting about the common threads that bind these narratives together, the power of family support, love, gratitude, resilience, and bouncing back. In our first story"To My Heart in Heaven", Alina talks about her grandfather.. and the impact he had on her life. About the dream they shared that Alina would go to Law School. Discover how her grandfather's wisdom and encouragement has been Alina's secret weapon in her experience navigating a world not designed with her in mind and unprepared for her abilities. Then with a critical eye on issues like entitlement of ableism, she guides us through her journey from being in an abusive situation as a child, experiencing discrimination at college, recovering from mental health issues and eventually her resilience in the face of systemic ableism. Her conversation with Jennifer is intimate, honest and vulnerable and full of wisdom and knowledge about life and the importance of knowing yourself and knowing your rights. In the second part of the show, we embark on a sweet journey with Peter and his story,"Mimi and Papa." He shares heartwarming memories of his awesome, adventurous grandparents, as well as his love and gratitude for the acceptance and support of his whole family and that includes his canine companions Magic and Winnie, who bring immense joy to his life. Then we explore his Peter's gratitude for a fulfilling job that not only sustains him, but also let's him give back to his supportive crew members, the community that has supported him. These stories, highlight the importance of recognizing and appreciating the good stuff, even when life throws curve balls. This is a tool that can help us all, regardless of our life circumstances. This episode is all about being thankful no matter what life throws your way. Join us as we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023 by listening to"Smashing Ableism: Tales of Resilience". And, you know, it's not just a podcast episode, it's a vibe that sparks gratitude:, it's a, it's a platform for, for stories that foster change and inclusivity. So get comfy and stay with us for these stories that'll challenge your assumptions make you think laugh, and maybe even get a bit fired up about how much there is left to do to break down the barriers for folks with disabilities.
Jennifer:Welcome back to True Tales by Disability Advocates. Changing the world one story at a time. I'm Jennifer Howell, and I am your host. I am here with storyteller Alina Arredondo. Hello, Alina, and welcome.
Alina:Hi, thank you for having me here. It's such a great pleasure and such an honor to be here today.
Jennifer:Oh, well, you are welcome. We are very eager to hear your story. Thank you so much.
Alina:I'm super excited and this is my first time being on a podcast.
Jennifer:Oh, wonderful. Well, Alina, what inspired you to write this story?
Alina:Well, we were given a topic of who is a person that we admire the most. And it was between my father and my grandfather. But obviously I wanted it to be a memory of my grandfather's past, so I decided to go with my grandfather since he actually influenced my father to be the father he is now, so that's why I picked him. And I am so eager to tell you guys.
Jennifer:Oh, that is beautiful. Okay, listeners, you are in for a treat. Alina Arredondo will now present her story,"To My Heart in Heaven", in which she shares about the positive impact her grandfather had and continues to have on her life.
Alina:Hi, my name is Alina Guadalupe Arredondo, and this is a story that I wrote"To My Heart In Heaven." Dear Viejillo,(Grandfather), I want to tell you how much I miss you, how I wish I was looking into your eyes. What would I give to see your face, and retrace each wrinkle that the years marked on you. I would bestow my own soul in exchange to feel your warm embrace around me, to hear your voice call me by the nickname you gave me,"Burrita," which I know means donkey, but you meant it in the sweetest, nicest way. I would jump through a volcano just for you to see what a great young lady I have become. Oh, what I would give to hear you tell me how proud I have made you, and that your pride in me has not changed since the day you left. Since you left, a lot has changed in me and around me. First of all, I am still short and a bit chunky, maybe not as short as when you saw me, but still kind of the same. Second, I have had three different graduations, with each one being higher academically. Motivated by the constant memory of what you told me as a child, that I would one day represent my last name. Not only have I graduated from high school, I received my Associate's degree, and last year in May, I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Third, I have taken my Law exam twice. The second time I took the LSAT, what motivated me to improve from the last time were your words in my head telling me,“You can do anything, if you want to.” All those hours of isolation and studying have finally paid off because a new chapter will soon begin. The chapter of going to law school will be another form of stress, but I know I can get through it because I know you're watching over me. You always told me that I would do great things. I remember the day I took my first step, you heard grandma screaming with joy. You rushed into the master bedroom and you asked grandma what was wrong. Grandma could not speak due to the excitement. She just pointed at me, and you asked me what I did, but instead, I showed you. At that moment, your eyes filled up, and you rushed to pick me up. While in your arms, you told me something I carry dearly in my heart,“Ya ve Burrita todo lo puede si usted quiere,”“You see, you can do anything if you want to." Taking my first step was a huge miracle, because my doctors wanted to amputate my legs, but you never gave up on me. We did home therapy because you believed that I would walk, and thanks to your stubbornness, I have not stopped walking. I remember as a child, every time you received your check... You would take me to the bank with you because the only way the cashier would cash your check was with my signature. Of course, this was not true, but you would do it to make me practice my writing. Or what about the time we were playing kitchen and I grabbed some jelly bean eggs and pretended they were chicken eggs. Remember I made you and your brother eat my jelly bean eggs? Your brother was not cooperating in eating my jelly bean eggs. So, I started to cry because I made those eggs with love. So, you asked for seconds and made your brother eat my jelly bean eggs. Or the times you would take me to McDonald's only for the toys. I remember your truck was full of McDonald's toys. I can honestly say you had me spoiled, in a good way. But the memory I cherished the most was the last time I saw you. It was a week before you left. I remember eating cereal outside under the tree. You could hardly walk. The pain had invaded your entire body, but that did not stop you from playing with us. We played ball and you pushed me on the swing. That day stood still as if God was warning me to cherish what would be my last time with you. All these great memories I shall treasure for the rest of my life. You once told me how one day I would represent my last name. One day everyone would be talking about Alina Guadalupe Arredondo and you would proudly proclaim to the Four Winds, I am your granddaughter. Thank you, my Viejillo, for believing in me. I offer all of my accomplishments in your honor. You will always live in my heart. I am grateful that I met you, and it was an honor to have called you my Grandfather. I will see you soon, but until that day comes, I know you will be by my side, guiding me towards becoming a family lawyer. Sincerely, and always, your Burrita.
Jennifer:Welcome back. I'm here with Alina. Thanks for sharing your story with us today. We know that a lot of time has passed since you first shared your story in 2013 or 14. What was your experience with higher education as a person with a disability, and did you finish law school?
Alina:Uh, yes, my experience with higher education, at first when I did my associate's and my bachelor's, it was pretty easy to transfer from high school into college or university. But for some reason, when I went to a master's level or J. D. level, kind of, education, there's not that many, uh, accommodations for people with disabilities. Because not a lot of people with disabilities go beyond that bachelor's degree, so it was very difficult for me to have and receive those accommodations. So because of that, I did not finish my law school, only because I missed GPA requirement by a decimal point, and I tried to appeal, and it didn't work out, and I just became really depressed. Errr, I had invested so much time and energy, and... I moved from El Paso all the way to a new state. And I, I had failed and I blamed myself when it was actually the school that should have been prepared, the society should be prepared for making the world a little bit more equal, equal. Equal for people with disabilities. You know, we, especially in education, we say, oh, um, education, equality for everyone, but in reality, that's not the case.
Jennifer:Alina, I, I actually, um, I want to say this, in the rehearsal...of course, we were very casual, you know, and we were having a conversation and, and, um, it's something that's not covered in your story. Um, I really, I really would like to ask you to share some of the things that we discussed in the rehearsal, about the lack of accommodations. You mentioned that you didn't receive the accommodations that you needed. I'm sure that there are many others who have faced that same situation. Please, Please if you are comfortable, tell us a little bit more about that?
Alina:Yeah, so what happened was, you know, I have always acknowledged that I do have a disability, but never truly understood the importance of knowing your rights and what accommodations and all this stuff. So, when I graduated from my bachelor's, I made sure that I went to the Accommodation Center, grabbed my documents, and when we moved over there, that was the first thing I turned in, and I explained like, this is what helps me, Dragon Natural Speaking, a recorder, somebody to take notes And at that moment, they said,"You know what, you are the first person with a severe physical disability that is requiring a lot of accommodations that we cannot provide. So, in that instance, my dad, he doesn't really know much English, English is not his first language. He had to sit with me in the classrooms and try to take notes. Try to understand and take notes for me, which was very difficult. And as you can see, I don't have upper limbs. So for me to pay attention and constantly taking notes myself was really difficult, and it's very different in the environment that everybody's in a competition mode, and everybody wants to go and be number one. So, my colleagues didn't even offer to help me, and I didn't know for sure that I had rights as a person with a disability. Uh, I didn't receive any accommodations. Um, there was a time where for extra time on my exam, they would just sit me on the floor and the lights would turn off and I have to be typing with the TV or the screen light and I, they were just not as helpful as I wish they could've. I had briefly thought, okay, they have to follow this, they know what they're doing. And since they said no, I just stopped there. So that made it very difficult, uh, for me to receive my accommodations. Um, even though I did go to other agencies that do advocate on behalf of people with disabilities, it wasn't enough to help me to succeed that first year of law school.
Jennifer:That had to be incredibly disappointing, frustrating, heartbreaking, and certainly...(sighs) very unfaIr. Um, but you... You didn't stop there, although you, um, did not continue with law school. Um, share with us what came next.
Alina:So after the disappointment of them not accepting my letter to fight back, to go back into the, um, law school, they basically told me," Why don't you go back to that little town that you come from? Take take any course you want to and come back when you get an A, and then we'll see if your accommodations are truly what will help you succeed." And I was like, that's not true, if I go back to El Paso, take a Spanish course, get an A, you're not gonna accept me back." So when they told me that, I really felt like society was just focusing on the lack of ability that I don't have, have. And it's that. I feel like, even though I am a person with a disability, I have so much more to offer, and for people just to, at a glance, see my physical disability and say, Oh, she can't do it! it's really difficult, you know? And it goes back, I'm gonna backtrack just a little bit, um, I come from a very abusive background. My mother, my biological mother was very abusive So all that trauma of, you know, my mom not accepting who I was, and I am useless, and all of that learned helplessness of, I cannot do it, you don't have any value. And then for someone with high authority to tell me that, uh, it did come a point where I wanted to commit suicide. And it was very difficult for me to get out of that funk, uh, just because I had dedicated since the age of nine that I wanted to become a lawyer.
Jennifer:I'm so sorry. It's so unfortunate, but thank you for giving us a look into your experience, about, being, abused as a child Your courageous story has not only inspired us, but maybe perhaps, it's initiated a very thought provoking, important conversation, that we need, Uh, about, um being abused as a child?
Alina:Uh, yes, I hope that this helps somebody especially a person with a disability. So, when I moved back to El Paso, my um, friends asked me,"Well, what is it, the passion that started you to want to become a lawyer? And it was to advocate for people. So now I am a graduate of The University of Texas El Paso with my Master's in Social Work. And as of January of this year, I received my license as a Master in Social Work. So now I can officially call myself in the state of Texas a Social Worker. And life has been pretty crazy! Um, I, I work at our local, um, independent living center. Um, I just bought a house. And I, I don't stop. I use my story as a way to push to my consumers that, hey, you do have a disability, but it's very important to know your rights and advocate on your behalf.
Jennifer:That is wonderful. You are unstoppable,(Laughs) and the world is a better place because of you.
Alina:(Laughs) Thank you.
Jennifer:You have, yes, you have achieved so much at such a young age. What are your current goals and dreams? What's, what's next? And what are your hopes for the future?
Alina:Well, academically, I think I have reached my full potential. So my next goal would probably be to open my own agency. Um, I have noticed working with people with disabilities, adults and young adults with disabilities, that there is not a Save Haven for them, like a place where they can live and work and feel wanted and appreciated. So, So, I would like to create like a community living situation where they can work in the community. And we can teach them those independent living skills, so they can know how to fold their clothes, or wash their clothes, or, um, how do you use, uh, money, how do you time manage, all of those things, uh, it's my next goal As As far as, like, my more personal goals, I would say for sure, learn how to drive. That is a huge passion of mine that I want to, for sure, um, work on, just because, you know, I am always on the go, and depending on people, or, you know, public transportation is not always the best. And then a more intimate, personal goal would be becoming a mother. I know it sounds really silly, um, but since I didn't have that love and appreciation with my mom, that connection from mother and daughter, um, I hope that, by having a child, I can share that love that I have. I mean, I share the love with my friends, with my significant others, with my father, with my siblings, but it's not the same as... having somebody who looks up to you as a role model, say. And I would say, okay, I didn't have this in my own childhood, but let me share that with you. Um, so those are my hopes and my dreams and my goals for the future to become a mother, learn how to drive and create my own, uh, agency.
Jennifer:There is nothing silly about that at all. You have a lot of love to give. Yes. So, you've faced discrimination. umm, an abusive situation.
Alina:Yes.
Jennifer:Um, you, mental health issues.
Alina:Oh, yeah.
Jennifer:And, and ableism has created so many barriers in every aspect of your life.
Alina:Yes.
Jennifer:You are a strong woman, a very strong woman, who has earned a Master's Degree, a professional license, and you are a homeowner.
Alina:Yes.
Jennifer:Wow!
Alina:(Laughs)
Jennifer:What advice do you have for anyone listening today who is facing a barrier that seems hopeless?
Alina:Like I said earlier, for sure know who you are, know your rights. As a person with a disability, you have so many rights, so many laws that yes, they could be improved upon, but, you know, what we have, use that tool. If you are not comfortable with who you are, don't even know what you like to do, and don't even know what laws protect you, how do you expect to become somebody? How do you expect to push yourself and say, you know what today, I'm going to do something simple as cleaning the house, but I need a provider, or I need this, or I need that Whatever that person may need in order to do a simple task. That That is knowing who you are, you're advocate, advocating for yourself. And that's something that I wish somebody would have told me at the beginning, and I would have pushed at the beginning of my law school journey and say, hey, these are my rights. This is what I need to do. Um, I'm going to stand up for myself and you are not going to be an ableist towards me and I'm going to show you that I can do it maybe differently than others, but I'm going to do it. Um, so, uh, for sure, for sure, for everyone who is listening, know who you are, know your rights, and it's okay to fail! You're You're still going to fail, that's just part of life, but it doesn't matter how many times you fail or how hard you have failed, what matters is, how do you get yourself back up? Uh, like I said, I have gone through so many things, and a lot of people ask me,"Hey, Alina, why do you continue? Why do you get up every night and every morning?" And say,"Hey, I'm gonna, I'm going to keep going and with a smile because I'm always smiling. I'm always joking. I have such a positive vibe that I want to portray to everybody that I meet because I have grown to, um, to see that everybody struggles in their own way, shape, or form. And it's not a competition of, oh, I've done this or this has happened to me. It's more of, let me help you, let me provide that resource, let me be that listening ear, but you also have to put your heart in saying"Okay, I failed, what are my next options? People may laugh at me, and that's fine. But let me get out of this funk and keep moving forward." So that's what I will tell them. Find who you really are. Learn the laws and keep pushing. And if you fail, try again.
Jennifer:That is such wonderful advice and, uh, so valuable. I know that Um, that was really speaking to, um, our listeners, and I know that it will be helpful to them. Thank you very much for that.
Alina:No, thank you for having me and thank you for allowing me this platform to share not only my love for my grandfather, who still helps me on a day to day basis, but for sharing my experience, even the ones that I did not mention in my story. I hope this helps somebody and motivates them that your disability is not a barrier. It's actually a positive thing to help you. And expanding and growing as a person, you just got to do things a little bit different, and there's no shame in the game.
Jennifer:Oh, thank you. Thank you so much, Alina. If you are a person with a disability, who has a dream of going to graduate school, you can find some great resources at gograd dot org slash resources slash students hyphen with hyphen disabilities. We'll put that link in the show notes. Okay, now listen, Um, I was wondering if we were going to stop there Alina, or if you have Um, a suggestion about this very thought provoking, important conversation that we had uh, go ahead.
Alina:Um, no, I mean, um, whatever you guys want me to talk, I know we mentioned more in the practice. Um, I didn't know, maybe, I think ableism is the biggest takeaway, the biggest barrier, or the biggest, yeah, barrier, um, that has created a ripple effect in my life, that, It has continuously, um, you know, affected. uh, I think um, how is the ableism still, um, affecting me right now, even though, like, I graduated and have a license, uh, and finding employment. Um, it was, like, still ongoing, like, it didn't just magically stop. And it's just, it's still continues. Um, okay, so what I was going to say was basically along the lines of that the world is the one that's not prepared for people like us. And they could at least be considerate enough to have the decency of having some sort of sensitivity training or even taking into account,(Uhh!) You know, the ADA does exist and that law is not just for the people who are born with disability, it also affects people who acquire disabilities. And the world doesn't really understand that as people get older, you do acquire disabilities. Uh, from simply wearing glasses to having disability, um, diabetes or high blood pressure or a pregnancy as a temporarily disability. And people just say oh, a disability is this little box, as a person that uses medical equipment to move around. Er,No, disabilities come in all shapes and sizes and colors and flavors, and the world needs to really take in charge of saying, okay, we signed this law, the ADA law that protects people with disabilities, let's actually put into practice what we're actually signed up to do. There's still so many buildings that you know, are not even accessible and they're new buildings, or they have the button to open doors, but they don't work. Nobody comes and checks on them. And it's so frustrating that when people walk into my home, they're like,"Oh, everything's so small, oh, everything is... to your needs!" I'm like,"Yes, welcome to my world. This little corner right here. Um, this is what I got to deal with outside! The stress that you're feeling in my home because it's not accommodated to your needs. That's what I have to feel, when I walk out my door,(Laughs) every day." Like, come on. Um, be considerate, be more humble,(Laughs), actually put into practice what you're trying to preach. Um, a few days ago, uh, we went to go pick up the proclamation for the ADA. And I was at City Hall and they didn't even bother to say, what can we do to accommodate you? They expect me to accommodate to their needs. They weren't even paying attention to me. And I was like, excuse me, I am a paid taxpayer. I am an active member of society. Like, listen to me, look at me. I've already been shut down by my mom, by law school people who think that they were the biggest thing because of their titles, and now you're doing the same thing? Like, no. Yes, I am three times a minority, Hispanic, a woman, and a person with a disability, but I am an active member of society. Like, treat me as one. My disability is not contagious. My disability... is not going to push me aside and be like,"Oh, poor her, pobrecita, she can't do that." No, my disability is only one of the million hats I wear, and it's only because you can see it that doesn't mean I lead with it. That doesn't mean that," Oh, she doesn't have hands. How can I shake her arm? Like, shake my arm like a normal person. Don't make me feel like I need to baby you and hold your hand and be like okay, this is how you do it,(Laughs). This is what you're supposed to ask. Like, no. Do it. Put in the effort and learn how to adapt to our world, not us just adapting your world!
Jennifer:Jennifer Laughing) Alina Arredondo for president!(Both laughing)
Alina:Thanks.(More laughing) Yes. laughs) maybe.
Jennifer:Okay. Thank you for being a guest on True Tales by Disability Advocates.
Alina:Thank you.
Jennifer:We really appreciate you.. This was fun
Alina:Yes, thank you. And I learned a lot from you guys. This was an awesome experience and thank you again for letting me be part of this.
Joey:Welcome I'm Joey Gidseg your host and today I'll be chatting with storyteller, Peter Richter. Welcome, to the podcast, where we change the world one story at a time Peter Peter, thanks for joining us today.
Peter:You're welcome.
Joey:Peter, we are so excited for you to share your story with our listeners.
Peter:Yeah, I got it. I got it right here. Okay, I can start? I'm Peter Richter. This is my story,"Mimi and Papa". I remember my Mimi and Papa, my grandparents. They were air pilots from World War II. Their names were Millie and Edwin Dalrymple. Millie's first husband died in the war, and she met Edwin, when they were both pilots. Edwin was a Longhorn fan. He went to a lot of games. He was a very good man. Millie was a tennis player. Her favorite player was Andy Roddick, who she met a few times. She actually played with him, too. My Mimi and Papa, they had great kids. Tom, Dennis. And the best mom I could have, Gail. They have six good grandchildren, Travis, Tracy, Scotty, Holly, Neil, and me. My mom and I used to visit Papa when he was in assisted living, and I read them stories from the sports pages. Edwin died in 2006, and Mimi in 2012. When Mimi died, my friend Robert called right away. Um, thinking about Papa has also made me think about my dog, Magic. She bit Papa once and he never forgave her. I loved her though. Before we got Magic, we were walking down the street and saw a dog. We took the dog home and the owners came to pick her up. After that, we wanted our own dog. We got one, had her for 11 years. I named her Magic because she brought magic into our lives. I now have my own dog named Winnie. I love her very much. I really miss my grandparents, but I like thinking about them.
Joey:I'm here with Peter Richter. So, Peter, I'm about to start, um, asking you those questions we sent you ahead of time. So, after I ask you, I think you already have some answers.
Peter:Mm hmm.
Joey:To help you think, yeah. So, that's what we're about to do.
Peter:Cool, cool, cool.
Joey:Peter,Thanks so much for sharing your story with us today. In your story, you mentioned that your dog brought magic into your life. What is your favorite memory of Magic?
Peter:My best memory of Magic is that she is playful. I like Magic, but I really like Winnie.
Joey:Will you tell us more about her?
Peter:Um, yeah, I would like to talk about my dog, Winnie She's very loyal and loving. She's a smart She cuddles with me. She's very friendly to people. She likes to go on a walk. She is trustworthy, very trustworthy. Winnie is a terrier mutt. She's very nice. She barks at other dogs, but she never bites. Winnie is three years old.
Joey:Aw, she sounds like a wonderful puppy. I also have puppies, and I know they are our family members. So, thank you, Peter, for sharing more with us. In your story, you mentioned your Mimi and Papa, and that you have the best mom ever. What other people in your life have helped you become the person that you are today? Would you share what you would like for us to know about them?
Peter:Robert Pierson is the person who's helped me with Mimi and Papa. He was my drama teacher at TSBVI. He called me when Mimi died. I was happy that he did that. It's an interesting story how Mimi died. My dad was coming back from a trip. We went out to eat. He got a call that Mimi died. When Mimi died she was telling a story.
Joey:Peter, that sounds rather sudden and must have been hard for you and your family. I'm so sorry for your loss. And Robert, you're right sounds like a really great friend. You are really lucky to have such supportive and caring family and friends in your life. Thank you for telling us more about them.
Peter:Mm hmm. Yeah.
Joey:Yeah. It's been a while since you wrote this story with Opening Minds, Opening Doors. And we know that you've been working at Whataburger for a few years. How do you like working there? What kind of things do you do at work?
Peter:I take care of the customers at Whataburger I have worked there for almost three years I'm excited about work. I would like to talk about Whataburger. The people there are supportive. They care about me a lot. They're kind to me. I'm a hard worker. It's the best job ever.
Joey:Wow! That sounds really, really cool. It's always good when we love our, our jobs that we get to do. So I know that we have a lot of people who, um, listen to and follow our podcast. So what would you like for our listeners to know about you?
Peter:I have a very kind person. I like sports a lot. My favorite team is the Astros and Tigers. uh, TILT, TILT, yeah, TILT. I'm in TILT Performance Group, we do plays, we, uh, we, uh, we perform. We had three great directors a long time ago. We had Robert. We had, uh, Adam and we had my mom. Yeah., TILT, was started because of me. I was doing acting in high school and Robert was the director of my high school play and he started it. My mom and him, and Adam started TILT. Yeah. I do. I really enjoy doing it. Thanks.
Joey:Yeah, and Peter, I remember you sharing with us that you sort of grew up in theater, so that really makes a lot of sense, and it's pretty cool that, that that was started and still happening.
Peter:Mm hmm. Yeah.
Joey:Cool. So Peter, we've learned a lot about you today, and we really, really, really appreciate you sharing your story with our listeners. Uh, Thank you so much once again. If our audience wants to learn more about you or connect, What is a good way for them to? Do you have a blog or accounts on social media?
Peter:Not right now, but I'm going to.
Joey:Cool. Cool. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. I'm sure that in the future we can add something like that to our podcast and people can follow you there.
Peter:Yeah, no problem. Okay.
Jennifer:Thank you for listening to this episode of True Tales by Disability Advocates. To find out more or to hear previous episodes, you can go to www dot art spark TX dot org. That's Art Spark T X dot org backslash True Tales Podcast. If you relate to the topics touched in this episode, we'd love to hear from you. Please visit our Facebook page at Facebook. com backslash True Tales Podcast, and share your stories with us. This episode of True Tales was hosted by me, Jennifer Howell,
Joey:and I'm host, Joey Gidseg,
Jennifer:and produced by
Joey:Joey Gidseg
Jennifer:and Toby Al-Trabulsi. Editing and mixing by MsBoye. The production team also includes Kristen Gooch. Special thanks to Alina Arredondo,
Joey:and Peter Richter.
Jennifer:I'm Jennifer Howell,
Joey:and I'm host, Joey Gidseg.
Jennifer:And you've been listening to True Tales by Disability Advocates. Don't forget to share us with your friends and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Thank you.
Kamand:All episodes of The True Tales by Disability Advocates for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere you get your podcasts. The 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 about the Speaking Advocates Program sign up for our newsletter at Art Spark Texas dot org. That's A R T S P A R K T X.org. This free virtual training is open to people of all disabilities, no matter where you live.
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