Rob Mineault
Hey, and welcome to another episode of at banter,
Ryan Fleury
banter, banter.
Random
Random noise from a pop-up video
Rob Mineault
what the hell?
Ryan Fleury
It’s finally here the AT banter podcast.
Rob Mineault
No kidding. Okay, well, we’re gonna do this. Hey, so let me just rant a little bit about videos that autoplay on news sites. Just start the podcast the right way. It’s ridiculous. Anyways, Hey, my name is Rob Mineault and joining me, as usual, the lovely Mr. Ryan Fleury.
Ryan Fleury
Good day, everybody.
Rob Mineault
It’s another week. It’s still 2021.
Ryan Fleury
It is, but January is almost over. The years moving along.
Rob Mineault
I can’t believe January’s almost over Actually, this year’s already going by really fast.
Ryan Fleury
Yes, I’m looking forward to warmer weather. Although I shouldn’t complain. It’s been like four degrees. Six Degrees.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, no, you know what, I had actually the same thought the other day, too. I was like, I really miss the summer. Like, I really wanted to be nice warm weather and go to my balcony. Have a glass of wine after work. You know, that whole thing, but just too damn cold still. But you’re right. Like we can’t really complain, because it’s not like minus 30.
Ryan Fleury
But I was watching a news news on TV last night, and there’s some protests in Siberia and it was minus 60.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, you get to really be angry at the government to protest in minus 60.
Ryan Fleury
Like that’s lung bleeding weather.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, I do think of that, though. I mean, I grew up in a place where during the winter, like you had to plug your cars in to keep the engine I guess warm enough. So it didn’t freeze. It didn’t think anything of it. Because you know, of course, you’re when you grow up there. You don’t think anything of it, but holy crap. Like now that idea is just so foreign. Like, who wants to live there?
Ryan Fleury
Unless you live in those areas, then you’re still doing it.
Rob Mineault
But yeah, well, kudos to you guys. I haven’t thought about that too. Growing up, though. I have to admit, I’d be like I’d be walking to school and like Who the hell? What, what people landed in this spot and decided, yeah, we can live here, like, this is hospitable enough.
Ryan Fleury
Well, you know, we’re so pampered. There was a couple weeks ago where it got, you know, cold enough here that I actually had to go outside and scrape the ice off the windows in the car, so we could go pick up our groceries and it was like, here I am. You know, moaning about having to scrape the ice twice a year.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, right.
Ryan Fleury
Sorry. Yeah, sorry to everybody who has to do it three times a day.
Rob Mineault
That’s right. Yeah, I don’t miss that. I don’t miss that at all. So how you doing?
Ryan Fleury
I’m doing pretty good. Pretty good. Got some new audio gear coming soon.
Rob Mineault
I heard that rumor.
Ryan Fleury
Mm hmm.
Rob Mineault
What do you what do you get?
Ryan Fleury
I got a 10 channel Allen and Heath USB mixer.
Rob Mineault
Oh, really? An Allen and Heath. I’ve never heard of that. But that’s not surprising, because I’m not a big audiophile. Is that is that a fairly good mixer?
Ryan Fleury
they are. They’ve been around for decades and have a pretty good name in the audio industry. Just like soundcraft and Mackie and, you know, they’re one of the big players as well. So I’m actually hoping this is going to be my first USB mixer. So I’m really hoping it’s just gonna be plug and play and work right out of the box.
Rob Mineault
Well, our audience will be sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear the results, I’m sure.
Ryan Fleury
Well, they will literally be on next week’s podcast.
Rob Mineault
See, see this podcast is just so packed full of excitement thrills and chills, people. Hey, Ryan.
Ryan Fleury
Yeah?
Rob Mineault
I want to talk about what we’re doing today.
Ryan Fleury
That’s probably a good idea.
Rob Mineault
Yeah. Yeah, cuz I’m excited about this show. I really am.
Ryan Fleury
I was too. You know, our guest today is someone who was probably a 10 or 15 minute drive away from my house. And I was pretty, pretty excited and interested to hear a little bit about her story and what she’s working on. So our guest today is Jessica Wegrzynowski.
Rob Mineault
So Jessica is a local, she lives here in Vancouver, and when she was 14, she started to get headaches, and started to have some trouble walking. So her parents took her into the hospital where doctors did an MRI. And what they found was she had a tumor on her brainstem. And actually, these doctors actually gave her only six months to live. Jessica got through the brain surgery to remove the tumor, had to have radiation treatments and occupational therapy physiotherapy. And she went on, and she graduated high school and she had actually started college. But when she was 19, she had another setback and had to have yet another surgery, during which that surgery, she suffered a stroke that actually left her paralyzed for months. And then she had to recover from that surgery again and again go through months and months of rehabilitation.
Ryan Fleury
The reason I wanted to get her on the show was because of her her positivity, her attitude towards life. And she’s also just written her first book that she released in December. And so we wanted to bring her on and give her some exposure to everybody.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, I love I love her message. That’s that’s the thing I took out of both the article. And you know, what we talked to her about, about the book and the message of the book is it just it’s such a great message for everybody. It’s a universal message. Everything is about your attitude. It was a real treat talking to her, we had so much fun. So a little later on, we’re gonna run that interview. But before we do, Ryan, I have some stuff that I want to talk to you about.
Ryan Fleury
All right, well, let’s banter.
Rob Mineault
So we got an email with no, I know, it is crazy. Okay, so I have to say, people who are listening, you make our week, when you send us an email, we get so excited around here. And we’ve been getting lovely emails over the past few weeks. So thank you again to everybody who has been emailing. So this week’s email comes to us from Stephen, who wrote a great email, all about our little mini rant that we had the other week, about AT funding, and brought up some really good points. When we talk about, you know, federal or provincial funding for assistive technology for people who need it. But we often think of it as “Oh, this is an expense that the government should soak up that the taxpayer should soak up”. But really, when you when you, when you frame it, it actually say ends up saving money in the long run. Because when you’re giving assistive technology to people who need it, who can then take that assistive technology and use it to be say, become employed or to go to school. Really, when you when you frame it like that, it makes sense plugging money into programs that will will help fund this equipment for people.
Ryan Fleury
Yeah, absolutely. Like, you know, he mentioned in in the email, and we’ve talked about it in the past over the years as well. But you know, you spend $1500 on a screen reader for somebody who’s blind. They go to school, they get a job. They become a productive, taxpaying citizen. Yeah, that $1500 screen reader is paying back so much more.
Rob Mineault
Yep.
Ryan Fleury
Then the initial outcast was to equip that person with that screen reader. And same goes for people in mobility, scooters, or hearing aids, you know, you name the technology or assistive device, it doesn’t really matter. It’s all about becoming productive citizens and contributing back because I’d be willing to bet 95%, 98% of us want to contribute back to society. We don’t want to live off the system.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, no, of course, framing it like that i thought i think was something was an aspect of it that we kind of missed in our conversation. I just wanted to bring that up as well and have another little mini rant because we love little mini rants. This is just something that needs to happen. And hopefully we’re not too far off from getting some sort of a I think it needs to happen on the federal level because the trouble was With it happening provincially or if you to our US listeners, you know, I guess in at the state level is just that it then it just depends on whatever state or province that you live live in, and whether or not they can afford a program like that. And I know here in Canada provincially it’s always just varied wildly depending on what province you were in. And and I, I feel like that’s a problem. It’s great for people who happen to live in a particular province, but then of course, anybody else while they’re out of luck, so I think it needs to happen at the federal level.
Ryan Fleury
Yeah. And, you know, there needs to be a lot of checks and balances, accountability put in place as well. You know, you don’t give you know, the British, the British Columbia government. I don’t know, whatever the number is $50 million for assisted aid system technology for people, and then they use that money elsewhere. Yeah, there needs to be checks and balances and recording done and follow up.
Rob Mineault
I would think that happens you don’t think, man that would be that would? That’s so weird. Can you imagine if you’re the province, you’d be like, “Oh, hey, thanks for the $50 million. Yeah, we’re actually going to build a new stadium.”
Ryan Fleury
I’d be willing to bet you It happens more than we think
Rob Mineault
Really? I feel like Ryan, I feel like if you’re in the States, I feel like you would you would lock into some of these conspiracy theories.
Ryan Fleury
You know, what’s interesting? Is us actually saying to my wife last night, I think, if, if I had life to do over again,. With the knowledge that I have now. I would have became, I think a human rights lawyer, there would be enough work there for hundreds of lawyers for the rest of your life. You know, even if it’s just website accessibility, you know, dealing with website accessibility complaints. You know, I had an example this week come up, I don’t want to throw them under the bus was okay, so I won’t name them. I had an example come up this week, where I had an invoice I had to pay. Yeah. And I couldn’t call them to give them a credit card number over the phone. And when they sent me the link to a website for a service they used for credit card payments. Yeah, that was not accessible. And so I went back to them and said, “You know, this website’s not gonna work either for me, I’m blind, and this, this just isn’t accessible.” So he came back to me says, Well, you can mail us a cheque. I’m like, Well, okay, what what part of blind don’t you understand? Like? Sure, okay, I can try to find my checkbook that I haven’t used in 15 years. I can probably get my wife to write a check and mail that out to you. But I don’t write checks anymore. I haven’t for a decade. So I actually had to get Steve to go in and pay the invoice. I couldn’t do it.
Rob Mineault
Really? That’s crazy. That is crazy. That’s a perfect example. Dude, you should well see. Now if we were down in the States, that’s I feel like that’s sue-able, you could actually have sued them for that.
Ryan Fleury
And that’s why I’m saying I wish if I could go back and live life over again, with the knowledge that I have now. That’s all I would be doing. would be spending my time on because there are so many holes in the system. It just it floors me, the more and more. I the more and more websites I come across that just don’t work. Yep. It’s frustrating. It is frustrating.
Rob Mineault
I don’t know .. lawyer. That’s a lot of reading. That’s a lot of work to become a lawyer.
Ryan Fleury
Oh, I know. We have a client who’s a lawyer that I do training with it. Yeah, I know, not an occupation for me. But if you’re if you’re somebody who’s listening to this, and you’re young, and you want guaranteed income for the rest of your life — lawyer.
Rob Mineault
Well, that’s true. We always will always need to sue the crap out of each other.
Ryan Fleury
That’s right.
Rob Mineault
And that’s so frustrating too, because, you know, you want to actually just pay them
Ryan Fleury
Well, that’s what I said to Steve I just want to pay these guys the invoice like I want to pay you. I owe you the money. Let me pay you. Yeah. I just couldn’t.
Rob Mineault
Wow, that’s nuts. No, that’s it. It’s such a funny place to drop the accessibility ball too, like, yeah, the payment cycle like, yeah, weird. Yeah. It’s really weird. Man find life to live over again. I don’t know what I’d be. That’s a good question. It’s a good question for a different podcast. So yeah, thanks again, Steven for the lovely email. And I’m sure that hopefully, hopefully Ryan’s mini rant entertained you as much as the original rant.
Ryan Fleury
That’s right. give us feedback. People. We love it.
Rob Mineault
Yes. Hey, you know what? So you sent me a link the other day. You sent me a White House briefing that I noticed that they have now made a really big deal, that the new Biden administration, they’re really sort of leading into accessibility. And they are now all the press briefings are now there’s people doing ASL as the person speaking is speaking.
Yeah. Which I thought was really interesting. Because even even pre the dark times, I don’t I don’t ever remember. And maybe I’m just not remembering this correctly, but I don’t I’m not sure that they really had ASL interpreters in press briefings before this at all.
Ryan Fleury
I don’t, I didn’t do enough research to say yea or nay. And hopefully some of our US listeners will, you know, send us an email and let us know. Yeah, but from what I’m seeing and hearing on Twitter, this sounds like it’s the first time in a long time the White House is actually pushing accessibility within their own house.
Rob Mineault
I know that I’ve watched sort of state press conferences before, and they always they always tend to have ASL interpreters. But I’ve never seen this in a White House and like a national briefing like this before. So this could be something that’s new. And there’s there was a great article about that. That was talking about how the fact that this is starting to happen, brings the idea of accessibility really to the forefront on a national level. I think that whenever you’re bringing accessibility into the forefront and putting it on display like this, it is important because it just it becomes accessibility needs to sort of bleed into the the mainstream thought process.
Ryan Fleury
You know, my guess is that captioning isn’t enough for everybody, either. And that’s why there are these people providing ASL during press briefings and other events that we see. You know, I equate it to audio description for the blind or visually impaired. Yeah, you know, there’s, there’s world events that go on, that we as blind people, we hear a lot of noise, maybe crashes, bangs, gunshots, whatever. But we don’t have the context. We don’t know what imagery is being displayed to us. And I’m going to throw a little plug out here to JJ hunt and Christine Malik, from the Talk Description to Me podcast, because that’s exactly what they’re currently doing. They’re taking world events, and they’re describing them in a podcast format. JJ did an audio describer for a couple decades now, and Christina is blind herself. If you’re really interested in getting more context on some of the events going on around the world, like the George Floyd, situation that happened, the storming of the Capitol, and other events. They’re all described on this podcast, it’s definitely worth your time to check it out.
Rob Mineault
All right, well, that’s enough of our babbling. I really want to get to Jessica’s interview, because it was so fun. So without any further ado, and bantering, let’s just roll that interview.
Ryan Fleury
All right, so Misty, and Jessica, thank you so much for joining us this morning. My name is Ryan
Jessica Wegrzynowski
So good to talk to you guys.
Ryan Fleury
Well, we’re excited to talk with you about something special that you’ve just released, but we’ll get there. So Joining me is my co- host, Rob.
Rob Mineault
Oh, hi, guys.
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Hi.
Ryan Fleury
And can you guys introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about yourself?
Misty
Well, my name is Misty and I’ve been Jessica’s friend and Care Aid for about six years.
Jessica Wegrzynowski
And I’m Jessica and I just published my first book, My Spring Fling: Young Love and Living Life to the Fullest
Ryan Fleury
And that’s exactly why we wanted to have you on the show today.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, thanks so much for joining us now .. I have so many questions, but I’m fascinated by the book. Was writing something Jessica that you were always interested in?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Yes, I was actually studying for writing in college, but then I got a brain injury. And I was forced to quit to recover.
Rob Mineault
And so what to talk to me a little bit about how the book came about what what really prompted you to write this particular book.
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Oh, well I go to many Brain injury groups and I noticed that there are a lot of depressed people on anti-depressants and have a lot of low spirits. I kinda thought you shouldn’t be depressed because this isn’t the end, it’s just a bump in the road. So I started writing a story about a girl meeting a disabled boy.
Ryan Fleury
And that’s something I wanted to ask you about Jessica, you have a quote here that was in the tri city news that says, “live life to the fullest. Life will always go on, this is just a bump in the road”, like you just mentioned. Where does that positivity, that attitude come from?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
I guess I was always positive and when I saw depressed people I thought “oh, that’s not very positive. Let’s turn those negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
Ryan Fleury
So what do you do when you have a bad day?
Unknown Speaker
A bad day? Eat lots of chocolate.
Ryan Fleury
That’s excellent. Excellent.
Rob Mineault
It is very true though. You know, it’s like that old saying goes, your attitude determines your altitude. And, you know things are what you you make of it. So it’s so these experiences that you had in, in the support groups, where you kind of like, Oh, you know, what, I need to sort of channel the positivity that I feel into something that I can send a message to other people who may be in similar situations. What’s sort of the the underlying message that you really wanted to send with the book?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
That when things happen in life it’s not the end and you have to keep going and you have to somehow manage to turn the negative into a postive. Don’t give up.
Rob Mineault
Talk to me a little bit about that attitude. And the book in particular, because how long did it take you to actually write the book?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Well, a lot of editing so it came to around 7 years.
Rob Mineault
And so were there times within that seven years, even that you were just like, you know what, maybe this is just like, maybe this is just not worth it? Was there ever any points, sort of some low points when you were writing it where you almost gave up?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
I got lots of negative comments on it and I was like, “That’s it, I’m done” And then my sister Malveena would tell me to get back on the computer and continue writing. My sister always encouraged me to not stop writing.
Rob Mineault
So what was writing process like? Would you say sit down for certain times during the day and work on the writing? Or did you just sort of write as you were, as you were feeling it?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Oh, well. I have issues with my eyesight. So usually I tried to do one hour a day, cuz the doctor says Don’t strain your eyes. So I try not to overdo it.
Ryan Fleury
I noticed that your book is available in paperback, Do you have plans to make like a Kindle edition or some other electronic format?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
I’m thinking about it
Rob Mineault
That leads me to an interesting question too. Because as somebody who’s I know, it’s always been my dream to sort of write a book as well. But I just I spend too much time in bed eating chocolate. But, but what what is the process like to get a book published? Like how challenging was that?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Oh, so hard. Cuz at first I wanted to get published traditionally. I got lots of no’s and lots of agents said “No way.” And so I decided to go with a publishing company cuz it’s a quicker process.
Rob Mineault
And like, how long was that process? How long did it actually take? Was there a lot of like, back and forth? And how long did you have to pitch the book before you actually got it published?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Well, I know a guy. Micheal Coss, he published a book with the same company, so they kinda already knew about me. So it took about four months.
Rob Mineault
And actually, it’s interesting that you mentioned him because in the other article that I was reading, you actually credited him and his book as part of the inspiration to write your own. Can you talk a little bit about that? And what it what is about his book that really, that really inspired you?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Well, I do love the subject of his book, but namely he basically showed me that it’s possible. At first I though it was almost to do. But when Micheal Coss got published, I knew I could do it too. I can do it.
Rob Mineault
And see, the wonderful part about that is that, you know, he sort of inspired you, and then you in turn will maybe inspire somebody else. And it just, you know, it pays it forward. And it really creates a little bit of a domino effect for a lot of people. Yeah, part of the reason why we we thought it was really, you know, we really wanted to have you on the show was, you know, that message that you were talking about it at the core of the book and at the core of your story is so important for so many people all over the world, who you know, have to deal with issues that come up and and have to go through processes of huge adjustments. People who, say, lose their vision or have brain injuries. You know, this this message is is so simple, but it is so important, and it can be really hard. You the book is so important, because it can really show people that other people are going through these things and have rallied and work their way through them and continue to rally on a daily basis.
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Yeah it was way easier than I thought it would be. At the house we did everything through email and Zoom meetings
Ryan Fleury
and chocolate to get you through.
Misty, how is Jessica and her story impacting you?
Misty
Um, it’s just solidified knowing how determined she is when she when she puts her mind to something. And I’m just really proud of her.
Ryan Fleury
Yeah, you know, we’ve been doing the podcast, starting our sixth year in May. And we speak to people with various disabilities from all over the world. And the common thread I think we take from all these human interest stories like yours, Jessica. is perserverence and encouragement and positivity. The support of family and friends is so important in order to be successful. So we give you and your family and you Misty a lot of credit for seeing this process through. And you know, I wish you all the best. I live in Coquitlam as well. And so like I said, when I saw it in the tri city news, I had to have you on the show.
Misty
Yeah, well, it was very exciting. And when I told her she was quite ecstatic, so it was a it was a nice surprise, but she was definitely looking forward to doing this interview.
Rob Mineault
So have you already thought of your next book?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Oh, I’m not in any rush. I’ll have to think about it but if I do it would probably be — I don’t know
Misty
She’s just enjoying the success.
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Enjoying the moment
Rob Mineault
Yeah, I can totally I can totally understand that.
Ryan Fleury
I have two questions, Rob. Unless you have anything else you want to cover?
Rob Mineault
No, you Go for it, sir.
Ryan Fleury
Okay, so the first question Jessica is dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
I like milk choclate. But dark chocolate is healthier so I do try to mix it up .
Ryan Fleury
My last question for you is what is the message you would like to leave our listeners with?
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Use it to your advantage. Don’t give up, always keep living life and no matter what happens always use what you got.
Misty
Wise words.
Ryan Fleury
Once we get through this pandemic, let’s meet up for coffee sometime.
Rob Mineault
Misty, Jessica, thank you so much for joining us it was an absolute delight talking to you. Listen, we’ll have you on for the next book.
Misty
Sounds good. Thanks, guys.
Jessica Wegrzynowski
Thanks, guys.
Rob Mineault
See, I I’m telling you I this is the best show we’ve done in a while, sir.
Ryan Fleury
Well, you know, you and I’ve talked about these types of shows since the beginning. And I lean into these human interest stories because they’re, they’re not just warm and fuzzy, but you always come out of them feeling better. Yeah. And, you know, I know there’s so much more in the world to talk about. But I think Jessica was an excellent guest. I’m excited for her book. I’m proud to see people overcoming their barriers or making the best of the cards they’re dealt, and still maintaining that positivity. It just makes my day.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, you know, what was interesting, too, is when she was talking about the support group, and how that that’s the experience in the support group really motivated her to actually write the book and really, sort of spurred her own attitude on because she was looking around at the different people and seeing so much depression and seeing people like just having trouble dealing with that. And, like, honestly, like, we talk all the time, about how the grieving process when you have a big life change, like say your your you do you do you are losing your vision, or you do have a brain injury, or whatever the big the big event is, it is a real grieving process. And it’s hard to do. I mean, Ryan, you went through that yourself. So you very well know what that process is like and how hard it is. And you know, you don’t want to minimize that. But like, I don’t know, Ryan, Do you wonder like, what if you’d met Jessica, like, the year after your accident?
Ryan Fleury
You know, there’s many times throughout my life since 1995, and lost my sight. I’ve been blind longer than I actually had sight. There’s many times that I looked back at the guests that we’ve had, and how things may have changed in my life or in my journey, as someone who’s blind if I would have been plugged into the different opportunities, such as you know, we’ve mentioned before bc blind sports or other organizations, then cnib nothing against cnib. They got me my Braille, they taught me how to use a cane. You know, those were great experiences but I could have gone the other way, I could have kept my hatred, I could have kept hating life. I could have isolated myself from the world and just lived as a miserable bastard. But, you know, I had the support of family and friends, and another blind guy who was in a similar situation, 20 years before I was, who kind of became a mentor, and just his success and his attitude. And again, like I said, the support and encouragement of family and friends made all the difference in the world.
First of all, what I have to say is that it’s like Louise said last week to you, sir. It’s never too late. We’re gonna get to that tandem bike.
You know how expensive those are?
Rob Mineault
actually no, I don’t, but we’ll steal a tandem bike, how’s that? But we should. We should totally do this. Me you and Steve, we should we should all pitch in and get a tandem bike and just do it, man. Just do it.
Ryan Fleury
You know, there’s so many things in the Lower Mainland here that I would love to take advantage of. But I am lazy and I’ve never taken a deal. To be honest. I’ve never taken orientation and mobility training here in the lower mainland. I lost my sight in Kamloops and can get around Kamloops just fine with a cane. But the Lower Mainland scares the snot out of me. Yeah, it’s crazy. There’s so much traffic. I don’t know the bus systems or the sky train system. But I would love nothing better than just to, you know, throw the bike on Steve’s van, you know, down to the Stanley Park seawall and go for a ride. The Grouse grind is on my bucket list. And I haven’t done that yet.
Rob Mineault
Dude. No, don’t put that on your bucket list.
Ryan Fleury
No, it’s n my bucket list. I’m gonna do it.
Rob Mineault
Well, listen, hey, blind beginnings ever decides to that they’re gonna do that again. I will dial you into that. I’m sure they’ll, they’ll let you tag along. But Dude, that is … okay. Well, you know what, I’m not going to discourage you. I don’t, I’ve done it twice in my life. And that was enough.
Ryan Fleury
Just want to do it once to say I did it.
Rob Mineault
Alright, okay. I’m telling you, okay. Yes, you should, you should do it. Just don’t make don’t ask me to be your sighted guide. Because I don’t know, man. I don’t know if I could. I don’t know if I could survive that thing again.
Ryan Fleury
Well I get Steve to be my sighted guide, you and Rick can be the encouragement.
Rob Mineault
Me and Rick, we’ll meet you guys at the top and have drinks ready. . So anyways, back to the topic. So it’s funny, even early on in this podcast, you know, when we first we and we tell the story all the time, I’m sorry, to everybody who’s like a longtime listener, and we’re just repeating ourselves. But you know, when we first started this podcast, we were just going to be an AT. Another AT related podcast and very quickly, we we just became so endeared to talking to people in the community and hearing their stories. It’s so much more rewarding. It, it just it, it means so much to both us and and hopefully our listening audience. When we hear stories like this,
Ryan Fleury
You never know who is listening, right? So it may not be everyone’s cup of soup. But it might reach that one person who is just having a really crappy day, and just needed to hear what was said.
Exactly. And that’s the really big takeaway, you know, that’s my hope is that somebody else who’s going through a similar situation, you know, will hear this story and go, yeah, you know what my i can i can respond to this situation. I can, I can choose like, I can’t choose what’s happened to me. But I can choose how I react to it. And what I’m going to do from here on in. And that’s the big takeaway for this. And I’m sure that that’s the you know, the takeaway that that Jessica is hoping for the message of the book. And that’s certainly what we want for the message of this podcast. If you if you pick up anything else off this podcast, that’s with a big message that I know, I speak for myself, that I hope people take away.
You know, I’m so glad we didn’t just stick with assistive technology. I’m glad we were able to use these human interest stories in with the news releases and the products that are available and the funding and everything else that goes along with it. Because there’s there’s other podcasts for that if that’s what you’re into, and that’s fine. But for us, these human interest stories are the most meaningful.
Rob Mineault
Yeah, absolutely. Well, I’m going to remind everybody to, we will certainly link to Jessica’s book, down in the show notes. Look it up if if you don’t have the show notes handy, it’s My Spring Fling: Young Love and Living Life to the Fullest. Go look it up on amazon.ca. and buy the book, support this young writer
Ryan Fleury
Tell your friends.
Rob Mineault
If you don’t have any Friends then just buy three copies of it.
Ryan Fleury
Then tell us because we’re your friends.
Hey, Ryan.
Yes, Rob.
Rob Mineault
Where can people find us?
Ryan Fleury
Well, I’m going to mix it up. They can find us. at@banter.ca
Rob Mineault
Wait, can they?
Ryan Fleury
They can.
Okay, well dot ca, dot com, dot biz
No, no, no, not No. I can’t even say dot biz. No dot biz
Rob Mineault
perfect. And they can also send us wait, they know. Oh, yeah. Completely derailed me with.ca
Ryan Fleury
Told you, we’re changing the show this year.
Rob Mineault
Yeah. Okay, fine. Hey, they can also drop us an email if they so desire at cowbell@atbanter.com
Ryan Fleury
They can also leave us a message on Facebook, Instagram, they can send us a tweet on Twitter.
Rob Mineault
That’s right.
Ryan Fleury
And yeah. If they are looking for assistive technology, yeah. They can also look up Canadian assistive technologies at http://www.canasstech.com.
Rob Mineault
Good job, sir. Yep, that is going to do it for us this week. Thanks everybody for listening in. Big thank you to Jessica and Misty for joining us. And we will see everybody next week.
Ryan Fleury
Bye bye.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
AT Banter Podcast 