The View from the Devil on Wheels

Player Promoter Internship: Day 1

2012-03-30T00:06:18Z

I was retweeted by @Campbell93 on day 1!This week, I began my internship with United Way as a member of their Team NFL Player Promoter program. As a player promoter, I am helping the United Way recruit volunteer mentors, leaders, and tutors for students in the local community. The United Way has an overall goal to cut the high school dropout rate in half by 2018, and to do so; it's going to take help from everyone. In a partnership with the NFL, players from NFL teams across the country are helping United Way recruit volunteers in their local communities. As a part of this initiative, each NFL player who participates in the program is pledging to recruit at least 3,000 volunteers.

With this lofty goal, I have been tasked as a Player Promoter to help Arizona Cardinals Defensive End Calais Campbell recruit volunteers in the Phoenix area. Campbell has been very active in the Valley of the Sun and is a big advocate of improving education environment in the local community. By promoting Campbell's efforts in the community via social media and other marketing channels, I'm hoping to raise awareness on the importance of education and volunteering to improve the lives of students.

I'm going to be blogging about my experiences as a player promoter throughout my internship, so check back often for updates. This is going to be an awesome opportunity and I can't wait to see how many people I can help recruit!

For more information on the NFL lives United initiative and how you can become a volunteer, check out Calais Campbell's player page on the United Way website.

My First Car

2012-01-16T02:06:50Z

My first car, I shall call her Dalia.It's a right of passage that every teenager dreams of, getting their first car. It signals the beginning of their new found independence and and symbolyzes a new transition to adulthood. Whether it's a beat up 1986 Volvo or a 2012 Range Rover, you can't keep the pride from beaming across their smiling faces.

Just like every other bright-eyed teenager, I to dreamed of the day I would receive my very own car. Unfortunately, the first set of wheels I ever received were attached to a Quickie electric wheelchair, so that dream was put on hold.

Ever since I became sick at 14, I wondered if I would ever get the chance to have my own car. I often thought about the first time I would get behind the wheel, but for now, a joystick would have to do.

It was a little late, but at 28 years of age, I finally was able to purchase my very first car, a cherry red 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. Along with its firey color, a grey pinstripe runs down the middle of the body and hood scoops sits on the hood. It's definitely a muscle car trapped in a mini-van's body, and it has my name written all over it.

I was so proud of myself when I got the van because owning a car as a person with a disability is no easy task. Since I am in an electric wheelchair, it's not like I could just buy some clunker to get me from A to Z. I needed something that was accessible, and the wheelchair lifts alone cost $13,000-$15,000. So the cheapest used car I would get would be around $22,000. I guess they forgot to let me know that you need to be rich if you're going to be disabled.

If able bodied people are allowed to purchase affordable modes of transportation, the same should be afforded to people with disabilities. I am one of the fortunate people with disabilities to have a job and salary that allows me to have my own car, but many people in my situation can not afford spending $20,000 - $50,000 on a car. If there was one thing I could change, it would be to make handicapped vans more affordable.

My first car is someting I'll always cherish and remember. It is a symbol of my success and independence, and I hope that one day this experience can be more of a reality for people with disabilities.

A New Post Idea: What If...

2012-01-08T03:40:10Z

Since my New Year's Resolution was to write more, I'm trying to come up with some fresh, entertaining content that I think you will all enjoy. One of my ideas is to answer the question, "What if?" I spend a lot of time just daydreaming and thinking about various scenarios in my head, and I think it'd be fun to put my thoughts on paper.

Every post, I will answer a different what if question. I've come up with a bunch of different questions, and I think you'll enjoy them. Feel free to post your own answers in the comments area. It would be fun to see everyone's responses.

Stay tuned for my first "What If" post in the coming weeks.

My New Year's Resolution for 2012

2012-01-03T18:56:15Z

See John, you were worried for nothing.Well, the calendar finally reads 2012 and it looks like the Mayans and John Cusack has us all worried over nothing. Since the world isn't coming to an end, I guess it's time I made my new year's resolutions. Along with the cliche resolutions, losing weight, saving money, and being happy, there is one that I've made a priority for 2012.

Be more consistent with my blogging and do more writing.

I've had my website for years, but I haven't been very good at posting regularly. If I'm going to have the site, I might as well make the best of it.

So this year, I will be more proactive in my blogging and be better at keeping to my writing. I've chosen writing as my career path, so it's time I stayed committed to honing my craft. I will be posting about living life with a disability and all my experiences along the way.

There will also be random posts about my hobbies and passions, so keep an eye out for those as well. Hopefully I will continue to develop my voice while posting entertaining and informative posts. My life has been a crazy ride over the past 14 years, and I have plenty of stories to share.

Well, here goes. Hope everyone has a great 2012 and be sure to check back for more updates!

Thank You, Steve.

2011-10-06T16:08:41Z

I was extremely saddened to hear about the passing of Steve Jobs. He was a true visionary and genius, showing us that it was ok to make design a business priority. I will always be an Aple fan and an even bigger fan of Jobs himself. His outlook on life is one I will always continue to admire and follow.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." - Steve Jobs

RIP, Steve. You will be missed.

I Wish My Life Was More Like a Romantic Comedy

2011-07-03T20:27:22Z

William Thacker was a very lucky man.I've been thinking a lot lately about what it would be like to be in a serious relationship. Of course, this isn't the first time I've thought about having a girlfriend, but it's definitely at the front of my mind.

I just recently watched Larry Crowne (a great movie by the way), and I couldn't help but wish that my life was more like a romantic comedy. As I watched Tom Hanks flirt with Julia Roberts on the big screen, I dreamt about what it would be like if I was in his world.

I already have a perfect situation that plays out in my mind.

I'm sitting at the mall, just wasting some time until I have to go to work. Suddenly, I realize that I'm going to be late and rush towards the exit. As I roll towards the door, I look down at my phone on my lap to catch the time. At the same time, a cute girl is standing by the door, intently typing away on her cell phone.

Without looking, I accidentally get a little too close to her and run over her toe. She screams out in pain as she falls into a plastic chair. My face becomes red with embarrassment, as I try to apologize. She is noticeably irritated and is about to tear me to the ground until she realizes that I'm in a wheelchair.

"It's okay," she shruggs. "Just watch where you drive that thing.

"I'm really sorry about that," I reply. "I've been driving for 10 years and I still haven't got the hang of this."

She then slowly limps away, but not before cracking a little smile.

Our paths cross again in the parking lot. I notice her limping around, staring aimlessly into the sea of cars. I slowly roll up behind her.

"Need some help," I ask.

Help Me Raise Money for Phoenix Children's Hospital

2011-06-24T17:24:09Z

I'm a founding member of this great philanthropy group at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The Patient and family Alumni Leadership (PALs) group is philanthropic team of former patients (or family members of former patients) who give back to the Hospital, with the goal of enriching the environment and experience for patients and families.

One of the ways we are helping PCH is by creating a grant that will help fund deserving programs at the hospital. The grant is fully-funded by funds raised by PALs members. I've pledged to raise $500 for our grant process. Help me reach my goal by making an online donation. Any bit helps and is greatly appreciated!

Donate to PALs

Back in the Day... Part 2

2011-06-12T16:42:04Z

Here is another clip from the Trujillo family home movie vault. This clip was taken at my grandmother's house. The baby in the clip is my cousin, Taylor. The video was filmed all the way back in 1994, way back in the day.

Back in the Day... Part 1

2011-06-04T02:20:05Z

So my dad found a box of of old video tapes (yes, video tapes) and he's been digging through them ever since. He's found a lot of old baseball games and home movies, including this absolute gem. Here is a clip of my brother, Matt, back in 1994. He was nine years old and already knew how to be a ham in front of the cameraman. Whose behind the camera, you say? Yours truly.

Thanks to an Exoskeleton, a Paralyzed Student Walks at His Graduation

2011-05-17T22:02:19Z

This is an absolutely amazing video. Congratulations to Austin Whitney, a 22-year-old student at UC Berkley who walked across the stage at his graduation using an awesome exoskeleton. Hopefully those steps are just the first of many more to come.

You can read more about Whitney's accomplishment on Gizmodo.