Updates, Unexpected Things And Continuing To Move Forward

[chelseajmunoz]

I’ve been forgetting to mention that some time ago a friend of mine hooked Alexa up to speakers of his. And ever since said friend has done that I’ve become spoiled. What I mean in saying that I’ve become spoiled by Alexa being hooked up to my friend’s speakers is that I can’t stand to listen to Alexa when it’s just her actual little speaker. Like, the sound quality of her little speaker is horrible now...because I know that she has the ability to sound far better. Interesting how that works, huh? LOL. In the last blog entry that I wrote Tuesday I also forgot to talk about some things that were poignant to me (such as how empowered I felt when I told a lady from my secondary insurance company that I wanted a specific secondary insurance plan for myself). Speaking up to that particular lady felt empowering to me because this was the first time I’ve had this particular luxury. In the past throughout the years that I had different insurance plans in Texas I never spoke up for myself. I’d either accept the things that I thought I was worthy of receiving from said insurance companies or I’d accept whatever my insurance companies told me said companies offered...and most of the time what said insurance companies offered was nothing close to what my rights said I could legally fight for. The reason I didn’t speak up for myself until these last few years was because I didn’t know what my rights were. I also didn’t speak up because I thought that I was supposed to do whatever my insurance companies told me to do. I didn’t know that I had a choice in the way things happened with regards to my insurance companies. As I said though it’s only been in the past few years that I’ve educated myself on what my rights are and it’s only been in the past few years that I’ve educated myself about the fact that I have a right to certain things...that I can choose for myself. The reason I started thinking differently where my insurance companies were concerned was because I realized that if I didn’t speak up for myself then no one would speak up for me. That particular realization was very powerful. So powerful in fact that I could never imagine going back to the way I used to be. So even though I’ve been outspoken with regards to my insurance companies within the last few years though that does not mean that I’ve gotten what I ask for. A perfect example is that the last few years that I was in Texas I fought for my Texas insurance companies to provide every single document or communication in a format I could read. Just to clarify, the format I could read did not necessarily have to be Braille. The format I could read could’ve also been email. I specified this same clarification with the insurance companies that I was a member of on numerous occasions. Yet I never received what I’d asked for. The Texas insurance companies I’d had were only interested in playing stupid games with me. For example the Texas insurance companies I’d had would constantly send me emails saying that they needed to talk to me. Yet those insurance companies would never actually email me any documents that I needed to sign. Needless to say it was frustrating on sooooooo many levels that Texas insurance companies that I thought had something against me personally because I regularly spoke up for myself, probably only treated me this way because that was how they treated everyone. Relocating to a new state though has given me a different perspective than I had when I was in Texas. What I mean in saying that relocating to a new state has given me a different perspective is that I’ve been forced to think about things in my new location because where I live now, there are more resources available that help meet my needs in ways that maybe Texas might not have been able to. For example since I’ve relocated I’ve been able to ask for documents and such in Braille...and even though some people I’ve asked for that reasonable accommodation have been unsure how to handle things at first, those people still helped make sure that I received exactly what I need. Whereas Texas never provided documents and such to me in a format that I could read. Maybe Texas did have the resources to provide me that particular reasonable accommodation. I mean, surely those Texas insurance companies have the ability to email...but maybe there was more to the story than I could possibly know. And that’s what I mean when I say that my perspective regarding insurance companies has shifted, is that I could speculate all day long why Texas insurance companies never sent me documents in a format I could read...but what purpose would that serve? None. So I’ll just say that I’m grateful to have learned everything that I’ve learned. And I’m also grateful for the fact that in the new state I live in I can receive documents and such in a format that I can read. It’s really a life-enhancing thing when a person with disabilities can have equal access to the same things that his or her sighted counterparts have access to by default. I hope I continue to treasure having equal access because it’s an awesome feeling!! Shortly after I’d written my last blog entry Tuesday someone from the agency that’s going to do my AT evaluation emailed me. In the email that the lady at said agency had sent me she provided my upcoming appointment information as well as the agency’s address. Shortly after I’d read that particular email from a lady at the agency I’m going to have the AT evaluation done at I received a phone call from the insurance company that was chosen as my secondary insurance plan by my primary insurance company. However I didn’t feel like I should answer that phone call because I wasn’t going to stay with that particular secondary insurance plan. A little while after I’d hung up from that insurance company I listened to a podcast called Conversations With Delilah. In that particular podcast episode of said show there was a guest who’s acted in at least two Christian-geared movies. This guy made a comment to Delilah like “People who don’t believe in God will think differently after he or she watches the Christian-geared movies I’ve acted in.” I thought his comment was arrogant...and even that’s putting it mildly. Because the thing is that atheists are people just like Christians are people. Atheists are not bad people because they believe differently than devout Christians believe. Yet a misconception that devout Christians often have about atheists or about people who don’t believe in God the same way those devout Christians believe in him, is that those people who believe differently than devout Christians are lesser than devout Christians. That’s an awfully arrogant thing to say and think. Because “different” does not mean “bad.” Back to the host of Conversations With Delilah though: Delilah is rarely someone whose perspectives I agree with. However I listen to Delilah’s podcast episodes because I think what she has to say is thought-provoking. What I mean in saying that Delilah’s podcast episodes are thought-provoking is that I always think about what she says. For example when she talks about how religion and God are a huge part of her life, that particular way of thinking reminds me how grateful I am to not fit in with society. Like, personally religion and God are not high on my priority list...and that’s a choice that i can make as the adult that I am. I don’t believe that my lack of religiosity makes me a bad person. My lack of religiosity simply is part of who I am. I choose to not follow any religion because I strongly believe that organized religion of all kinds is poisonous to the world. I strongly believe that God exists on the sidelines as someone who watches us human beings with compassion and understanding that we’re learning and growing every day. I don’t believe that God is against people of one gender being attracted to their same gender. I don’t believe in the concept of sin because it’s ludicrous to hold me or any other human being responsible for things that other human beings have done. I don’t believe that God gets angry at us when we have days that we are not confident of his existence. I don’t believe that God wants us to have toxic family members in our lives, just because those people are related to us by blood. I believe that God delights in our choosing who we want to be as well as that he delights in us choosing who we want to surround ourselves with. I believe that God wants us to live the lives that we as individuals want to live. I don’t believe that God wants to control us the way my toxic parents for example, have enjoyed controlling me. In shirt I believe in God in a much looser sense than probably the majority of the world believes in God...and I love my beliefs. I love the fact that I think differently than this majority Christian world because I want to stand out in everything I do. I have no desire to fit in...NONE!! That being said, it’s been a difficult journey to get to this point where I can honestly say that I’m proud to be a nonconformist!! Anyway listening to podcasts I don’t agree with is a fruitful experience for me. And shortly after I’d listened to that particular podcast episode of Conversations With Delilah I listened to another podcast. That particular podcast was called Not So Black And White. The hosts of Not So Black And White are Christian preachers who also do a ton of other things. I find the hosts of Not So Black And White to be open-minded people. What I mean in saying that those people are open-minded people is that they believe in God similarly to how I believe in God. So anyway on the particular podcast episode of Not So Black And White that I was listening to there was a guest who’d recently written a book that discussed the Holy Spirit. Before I go any further though I have to say that I’ve always found the concept of a Holy Spirit to be foreign. Because to me there’s only God. There is nothing else. But anyway the author who was a guest on that particular podcast episode of Not So Black And White said something like “People who don’t believe in the Holy Spirit don’t believe in God” which I thought was an incredibly arrogant thing to say. Said comment of his reminded me yet again why I refuse to be part of any organized religion. A little while after I’d finished listening to that particular podcast episode of Not So Black And White I texted a long-time friend of mine. In the text that I’d sent him I asked if he’d be interested in recording an audio blurb for my website. The reason I asked this particular friend if he’d be interested in helping me in this way was because said friend loves everything having to do with making audio of himself. A few minutes after I’d texted him he replied to my text saying that he’d love to record something for my website. So that’s exciting! Yesterday morning I woke up and started the process of registering for the college class that I’m going to take this summer. Once I’d logged into my school account I double-tapped the “register and pay” link on the college’s website. Before I could actually register for any classes at the college though I had to fill out a form that was required for the college. The form verified my current information in addition to having me complete other information about my income, some family information and other information that I can’t remember. Once I’d filled out all of that information though I was able to register for English 100A. Although when I checked the balance that I’d owe the college I’m going to be attending I owed the college a lot of money. So after I’d found that out I called the college several times to see if anyone would help me apply for a grant that the college could give me. No one answered the phone though so I emailed the academic counselor I’d met with as well as someone else who’s in the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) to see if either one of them would respond to my request for help. A little while after I’d sent two different people at the college an email asking each one of them for help I was finally able to talk to someone from the OSD on the phone. I asked the woman I spoke with whether I should come to the college a little earlier than I’d planned to so that I could have help applying for the grant I want to apply for. She said I could come an hour or so earlier than I’d originally planned to go to the college. A little while after I’d gotten off the phone with a lady from the OSD I received an email from the Academic Counselor I’d emailed earlier in the day. In the email she’d sent me she told me that I should go to the financial aid office at the college today to see if that particular department would help me fill out an application for a grant from the college. Since I knew that I wouldn’t receive help from anyone at the financial aid office though I disregarded the Academic Counselor’s email. And a little while after I’d read her email I called Uber to take me to the college I’m going to be attending. The Uber driver I’d had on the way to said college was kind of annoying because he wouldn’t listen to the directions I was giving him once he’d arrived at the college. However I arrived at my destination in one piece. Once I’d walked into the OSD I told someone from the OSD that I needed help applying for a grant from the college. Fortunately someone from said department at the college had no problem getting that taken care of for me. And I actually ended up having to fill out two grant applications because of how said applications were structured. Shortly after I’d taken care of that though I had my meeting with the academic counselor I’d met with several times prior to this one. During mine and her meeting with one another she and I figured out what university I want to attend once I finish at the community college level. Because there are a ton of colleges in this state that have the particular major I’ve chosen. Yet I don’t want to tell my readers what I’ve chosen just yet...if ever. LOL. If it comes up in conversations I have with people that’s one thing. But there are people who are up to no good in the world so I’m careful about how much personally identifiable information I put in my blog. I will say though that it feels great to have chosen a university to attend and to have come up with an academic plan that’s structured to make that happen for me. I even made sure to tell the academic counselor that my high school transcripts were on there way. So she made a note of that in my file. That way if anyone looks at my file before I actually have a chance to go to the college with my high school transcripts they’ll know the status is of my high school transcripts. Another thing that I talked with the academic counselor about during my meeting with her was the fact that I should also register for the college classes that I want to take in the fall semester. I thanked her for letting me know because I didn’t realize that I should go ahead and register for fall classes today as well. So as soon as I got to a friend of mine’s apartment I registered for the classes that I want to take at the college in the fall. Unfortunately though one of the classes that I wanted to take in the fall said that registration was full for said class. And apparently there are 0 people on the waiting list for that particular class. I didn’t expect for that to happen. A little while after I’d registered for the college classes that I want to take in the fall I read Mr. Kanuganti’s email responses to the questions I’d sent him earlier in the week. However I don’t want to post my interview with him until I’m able to create an awesome write-up of everything in its own blog entry. A while after I’d read Mr. Kanuganti’s responses to the questions I’d asked him a friend and I recorded the song that I’ve talked about a lot in my blog lately. Once my friend had recorded said song he emailed the song to me. I then listened to the song on my phone and in doing so I discovered that one part of the song needs to be turned down just a bit. So my friend is going to fix that for me whenever he gets a chance to do so. After said friend and I’d listened to the song we’d made, that same friend told me that the English class that I tried to register for in the fall may not have let me register for it because I haven’t taken the prerequisite English class yet. I bet that my friend is probably right. When I got up this morning I received a phone call from the insurance company that I’m no longer a member of. I didn’t answer said call though. After I’d declined that particular call I checked the status of my classes on my school’s website. Fortunately I hadn’t been dropped from any of my classes as I’d thought I would be. Once I’d found out that bit of information I called the cashier’s office at the college I’m going to be attending. I told the lady I spoke with at the cashier’s office that I’m a client of vocational rehabilitation but that I’d also filled out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). I wanted to know whether I needed to contact my Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) to ask for his help in paying for my classes or whether FAFSA was going to take care of me. The lady I spoke with at the cashier’s office was kind enough to transfer me to the financial aid department at the college I’m going to be attending. Once I’d been connected to the college’s financial aid department I was put on hold for a few minutes. When a lady from the financial aid department came back on the line I told her that I wanted to know whether the financial aid department was going to take care of my finances for college or whether I should talk to my VRC and ask him to send me a check. The lady’s response was “I can’t tell you that information over the phone. You have to come into our office.” I hung up on her because she pissed me off!! After I’d gotten off the phone with her though I called the college’s financial aid department again. I left a voicemail with that particular department at the college telling the financial aid department that I want a supervisor to call me back because I had a simple question that I want answered. While I was on the phone with the financial aid department’s voicemail though I received a call from a number that I didn’t recognize. When I’d listened to the voicemail that the person had left me, it turned out that someone had called to let me know that my VRC had scheduled my transportation for this coming week when I’ll go to have my AT evaluation done. That was awesome.