An Incredible Journey

Two years ago, my work as an advocate and voice was silenced by the pandemic. Public speaking to students, law enforcement, and parents wasn't happening and with injuries I suffered at Daytona in 2020 my depression was great enough that I didn't push or look into doing virtual presentations. Sure, I had a few, but compared to the tens of thousands of people I presented to in the years prior I was not doing the work I was put on this Earth to do. Flash forward to the past seven days.

A week ago, indycar.com ran a story about me that reached all across the globe. It was an honor, but the point I want to convey is this; the past two years I thought I wasn't doing my mission, but in a way I really was. The reach that the story, along with yesterday's Good Day LA interview, felt like it was more than anything other single thing I had done in my entire career so even though my presentations had ceased, I was working towards a goal I didn't know I was headed towards.

There's something I find beautiful in all this. I had an extreme level of self-loathing two years ago because raising understanding and helping families was what I was meant to do on this Earth. The pain I experienced after my diagnosis was worth it if I utilized it as it motivated me so others, perhaps, would not go through what I did.

The interviewer yesterday asked a question along the origins of my autism spectrum diagnosis story, and it led me to say something along the lines of this, "I wish I could go back and tell my 2005 self that it's going to be okay. I was working towards something I didn't understand at the time, and it will work out." I needed to tell myself that again after the interview as I thought about the past week. Following my passion and becoming one of the starters for the NTT INDYCAR Series did allow me, in time, to have a voice once more. When presentations become commonplace for me again, I'm going to talk about this in that following a job or career where passion lies is vital. Passion is something that can't be faked, and others will notice. A person may not be in the ideal place at this point in time, but like me, everyone could be working towards a goal they may not know their headed towards and the end result may be greater than ever imagined.