Knowlegde

I once found myself with out a good fitting prosthesis, no job and very little money. It was the end of 2006, I had been an amputee for less than a year and I was let go from the company I was working for with no notice. The socket to the leg I was wearing was so loose that I was wearing over 35 ply in prosthetic socks to keep it working properly. I had no medical insurance and I was scared.

Even though times were tough I have to tell you this was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned that with some determination and perspiration you can accomplish anything. From that day on I vowed never to be put in a powerless position again.

In less than a years time I did some incredible things...

I found a job with a startup company. In the year that I worked for this company I fabricated and adjusted my own prosthesis, I ran a half marathon, I completed a 100 mile bicycle ride, I was interviewed by the TV news, I had a couple of articles written about me in the news paper, I designed a company brochure, I built a website, I rode my bicycle from Austin TX to Atlanta GA and I created and edited my first YouTube video.

None of my projects has ever been perfect, but they have all been works of passion, some that I have been very proud of. The coolest thing about a project you decide to take on is that you have total control over it. The completion, success and failure of any of my creation always in in my own hands. So even though I may not be a professional editor, media expert, publisher or technician I put my heart into my work. I also always learn a lot in the process.

I have found that the more work you put into something the more you get out of it.


I get some criticism once in a while, some of it is warranted. I certainly have made and will continue to make my share of mistakes. I also get complemented a lot. Some of the best compliments have come from people in the medical community, patients, other amputees, and regular people. I have the occasional friend remind me of how cheesy I am from time to time to keep me grounded. :)

The very best compliment in the world is emulation. Some of my ideals have been "borrowed" from people. One individual I used to work with now uses the term 'Patient Advocate' in their title, which they did not use when I was working with them. I didn't coin the term, but I certainly started using it first. Another former employer started making YouTube videos not long after I began putting them out. Once again this is nothing new, but I am pretty sure my videos had something to do with motivating them to create their own. I had another marketing person that I used to work around that decided to run a half marathon after I did one. Once again I am not saying that they stole my ideal, but I am pretty sure I helped motivate or inspire them.

What can I say? I can be bitter and feel ripped off or I can be happy and glad that I helped motivate someone? Believe me, I have borrowed and continue to borrow ideals all the time. I draw inspiration from many different sources. In total honesty, imitation is the best form of flattery. So I feel honored and humbled that maybe I helped encourage someone to 'do' something or start their own project.  

I have learned over time that hoarding ideals is petty. No one owns ideals...ideals should be shared and used to build new ideals. This is how things advance. This is one reason why I am such an advocate for the free movement of information. Throughout this site I have made it a goal to form a lot of links that deal with open source software, streaming media, manuals, instructional videos and many other (sometimes unorthodox) informational links.

There is so much knowledge and information out there. If you have the time, means and passion why not build/design/start your own _______? [fill in the blank with something you have always wanted to do].  Life is for learning and growing. There is no reason why any of us should be held back from reaching our full potential by not engaging in something we are passionate about.

Of course you can always hire someone? There is always a good chance a person will have better equipment and more knowledge on how to do something. The real question is will they have your vision? To complete your project? The way you want?

The best way to empower yourself is through information. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it, because we can't do everything ourselves. I do think we should pursue what we are inspired by though.

You have to admit there is a beauty to taking things into your own hands.
Just look at the things I was able to accomplish in just one short year...