~Brian~

I just wanted to let everyone know that from time to time I see interesting stuff on Facebook or I see funny images or things that make me feel good about certain situations. Last night I posted a lot of pictures from Facebook because they were awesome sayings and they resonate with me.

This morning I also posted the new Vermont strong license plates. The ones that we used to have say " I AM Vermont Strong"  and these were authorized by the former governor of Vermont Peter Shumlin. This was done in 2011 after Tropical Storm Irene hit the area and did a lot of damage.

In 2023, after the floods, the state authorized plates that say " We ARE Vermont Strong, Tough Too"  I love this state and I've always lived here all my life, I ended up starting life in a place called East Hardwick, in a place where it was like a wooded area, and it was rural, and I really enjoyed the fact that it was far away from the city and all of the junk that happens.  When you're a kid you don't realize how important being a kid early is, or how having the ability or the drive to wanna do something fun and have fun outdoors and just laugh and play and enjoy life as it Is at the time. When you're a kid you don't have to worry about much, but then when you grow up you realize that the life you had when you're a kid is sometimes more beneficial than the one you had as an adult. This also can change because of who raises you and what type of influences they've had in your life and what things have happened to you. It was very very very lucky to have good parents good grandparents good aunts uncles and Cousins and other relatives, that care about me that love me and want me to succeed. Regardless of how bad it gets in Vermont, we are Vermont strong we are Vermont tough, and just like former Governor Cuomo in New York would say, New Yorkers are New York tough! After what happened with the World Trade Center and everything else happening twice once in 93 and once on 9/11, now I know why New Yorkers are so tough, because they care about the people around them and they also care about their city, and they always tried to do the best they can.

The picture of these is in my album if you want to see it, it's a slide so you may have to open the picture to see both plates. Is selling these plates for $35 a piece, and you can get them both if you pay the $72 fee! And Bill has already gotten both and he wants to know when they arrive, so we'll have to work with him to see what they say at DMV in Montpelier.

I'm very lucky that I had the people that I have in my life. When life is down when it feels like life is sucky and it doesn't make sense, having strong people and having strong devotion to your state and who you live with or who you want to live with or where you are makes it stronger.  Vermont has their problems comment New York has theirs and other states do as well, but the thing that makes Vermont unique is they care about the people just like in New York, they want the best for Vermonters, and that is why when I know I'm right I push the limits to see how they're going to react: when I had to have a fair hearing because of medication changes, also brought up my incontinence a little because I had to get what I have and keep it because they wanted to change it to something cheaper, and they wanted to put everybody under the same box, but sometimes what they want one person to do is not going to help the rest of us and not everyone belongs in the same box. I won that war when we're talking about incontinence supplies, now I'm wondering when they'll send me the necessary paper so I can get an exception to the rule that says that my drugs that are considered over the counter will still be covered under Medicaid. To get the paper and then try to talk the doctor into it and I'm sure he will do it. Than him trying to figure out what can replace it, because everything that is over-the-counter as far as antihistamines has been terminated for coverage.

All through my life I've been tough, and now there have been through at least three floods, now I understand what being Vermont strong is. Means that you care about your state and you care about what happens to it and why things happen, and you fight for what you think is right and you fight against what is wrong. Vermont may have its trouble but I love it, it's pretty, the only thing I wish that would happen is I wish I didn't have to live through cold cold winters that make mobility harder, but Vermont is where I live and I'll always remember it and I always cherish it because in other places it's a little harder for people to live, but I always will remember all of the pictures for example that my parents take as they take rides all over the state and then they go different places and they show us where they've been and where they want to go, or where they take a picture of a covered bridge or they take a picture of a farmhouse or something that makes me proud to be a Vermonter. Those plates may just say what they say, but being a Vermonter I live that philosophy because you have to be strong in order to fight for what you believe is right, you also have to be strong to fight against what you think is wrong, and I hope that I am the type of person that will be able to win when I know that there's a possibility I can lose.

There are several people on dd that also share this philosophy, as you be tough as you move forward, and you never back down. I know that it's hard sometimes to deal with certain situations, but because of certain people on DDI have learned that there are ways to deal with many problems, even if they might be unorthodox ways, I'm so glad to have the people that I do have here because they help me and they understand what's going on.

Just remember one thing: no matter how hard it is, just remember that you should remain strong and vigilant, and that is one of the things I try to do. I try to help people so that they understand what's going on, so when they ask questions about incontinence or diapers or whatever it is, and they think they're embarrassed or whatever I always try to help them understand that there's nothing wrong with doing what they're doing, and it's a lot better for you to be comfortable and be able to deal with it using diapers if that's what you want to do rather than worry about it. A diaper is just a tool, it's an underwear choice, and that is an important thing. Believe a person that is strong is one that can admit that they have a problem or that they need to have help, and they use the diapers they have or they use whatever solution they decide, and it makes them strong because they're willing to do it and they know it's right for them.

So I'm Vermont strong, but DD is a lot stronger, because they care about the people, and they care about what is going on around them. DD is a strong place because of the people that make it that way, and that is the important piece! This may just be a bunch of servers and wires, but it feels like home to me and it always will be! Michael always does his best and I appreciate everything that he does, and I appreciate all the moderators and chat mods and everyone else that makes DD tick, and I'm so glad that I'm here, and I'm so glad that because of people here I'm able to determine what's going on and be able to admit that I am what I am and always have been! I don't know why it took me so long, but I'm glad I'm finally here and I'll always remember everybody that helped me through this journey, and I'm not done yet, because the journey will continue: I might have made my decision and come to my own conclusion, but there's so many other people that may be on the same path as I was, so it's always a good thing to try to help as many as you can. Might not be able to answer every question and you may not be able to help everyone, but you always try your best: that is the best thing that my parents always told me, give it all you got give it your best, because if as long as you give your best that's as best as you can do!

Brian