… So I am writing this blog thousands of feet in the air on a tiny little plane somewhere between Chicago, Illinois and Burlington, Vermont.  How’s that for dedication!!??

Today has been a long one.  I woke up at 4:45am and was out the door by 5:30am headed south for Seattle.  It was a relaxing drive, if you consider blasting Guns N Roses then Streetlight Manifesto’s entire song catalogue on random relaxing.  BTW Streetlight Manifesto are on tour and I’ll be seeing them in Vancouver in a  couple weeks not-to-mention Axl / G’N'R two days later.

Can I gripe for just a second??  Of course I can.  I’m composing this blog and I answer to no one!!

Now, I don’t like to bitch, but I have to say that United Airlines is a pain in the ass…  I get to the airport this morning to learn that somewhere in the chain of communication there was a broken link.  When I book flights, or my bro Jason books them for me to be more exact, he, I request accommodations for my wheelchair.  Well for some reason United Airlines seem to be united in their incompetence for relaying web information to their ticket kiosks.  It never seems to fail.  I roll up to the counter, usually at some ungodly time in the morning, and am met with a dumbfounded stare.  Never seen a wheelchair before?  I thought everyone watched Glee!! (I actually don’t, but they have a dude in a chair in the commercials).

So I explain that the back row of the plane / middle seat is a pretty awkward location for me.  Now, any other airline… Southwest, WestJet for example, have designated seats for such situations.  Oh Yeah… They boot your able-bodied asses out in a jiffy and hand your plush scenic real-estate to me.  Maybe you’re like Hey GFYS!  That’s why my window got jacked that time!!  Yes it is… And Thank You!

But think about it…  I get a couple morons usually who have no idea how to push the isle chair. (FYI The isle chair is half the size of a standard wheelchair and allows access for me to my seat. It has tiny wheels so the cripple or crapple sitting in it are unable maneuver themselves).  Thank God I can’t feel pain in my knees or I’d be screaming in agony the entire thud-thumpin’ (isn’t that a Chumba-wamba song?) trip to my seat!  Then I always get the side of the plane (state the obvious here - but there are two sides of a plane unless you’re on one of those big overseas planes, so domestic plane 50 / 50 chance) that doesn’t have retractable arm rests.  Yay! I love to be violated by arm rests in the morning.  It nicely compliments the awkward feel up I’m just beginning to try and emotionally deal with that I got in customs twenty minutes ago. Then they put me in the damn middle seat.  Might I add here that I go on the plane before anyone else…  So I sit like a jackass and wait for that poor soul who usually has a bladder the size of thimble to arrive (always his… never an attractive lady’s seat). My new neighbourino usually stares at me impatiently obviously and obliviously expecting me to stand up and make way… So this is usually cue to tell my damn life story, which I quite enjoy sharing with youth or intrigued audiences, but to not some random on a plane who now feels it is their duty to explain to me how sorry they feel for me. Do I really look like I want people to feel sorry for me??

FML!!

This is the average United experience.

… Now take the last three paragraphs and basically reverse them.  Yep, now I am off the plane.  But usually this is only half the battle.  Chances are I am in Chicago for a lay-over / plane change.  I realized tonight that I have made more visits for dinner to the Chicago airport in the last year than my mom and dad’s places combined.  And even Jimmy’s cooking shitbeats airport supper.  Actually Jimmy cooks pretty damn good and Ingrid is a wicked cook!

Still… After all that BS once I got my seat, a gracefully donated window seat compliments of a kind fella from Chicago, I was content… Happy even.  Between Seattle and Chicago, I viciously typed away on my Blackberry at my eighty - yep 80 - outstanding emails.  And one by one, as I read and responded, I was reminded why I go through this bullshit on a regular basis (not to say I haven’t been considering adding first class seating to my booking requirements from now on.  J’ take note). 

I read 58 emails and responded to each.  I never once tired of reading these inspiring messages young people recently sent me.  It really made the entire clusterfudge by Untited all worth while.  And so does a day like yesterday when I was invited back to Terry Fox Secondary in Port Coquitlam, BC to do what must be somewhere in the double-digits now of presentations.

Yesterday was another awesome experience at Fox.  So many have happened there too.  The audiences are always stellar.  I’m such a regular now that I am recognized by staff and students as soon as I pull into the parking lot.  Once out of my truck, I am welcomed with open arms, high fives, head nods and waves.  It’s like being the cool guy rolling into a party!  A role I’d like to think I may have played once or twice in my day!   Seriously, how many wheelchair puns are there in those last two sentences??

There is some great history between TF and KB…  We shot part of the Wiggle Your Toes documentary there.  The mom / paramedic story in my talk originated at Fox (for anyone wondering… A student years ago came home from my presentation to share with his mom what he’d just heard and turns out ‘mom’ saved my life the night of the crash).  And yesterday, to add to the list of great moments, a family who has a similar story to mine who I met through our stories, were in attendance.  It was very touching to me to have them there. The audience at Fox was once again stellar yesterday, so thanks to everyone from Fox!!  Oh and big props to my AV crew in the theatre.  I forgot to mention on top of all else that makes Fox an awesome place to speak, the facility there and great people working in it kick ass!!

Ummm….  We’re hitting some turbulence here, so I think it’s time to wrap up.  Being ping-ponged around in a plane and typing into a minuscule Blackberry screen kind of makes me feel nauseous…  I doubt that greasy burger I ate at the airport is helping much either.

I’d just like to end this saying despite the BS I sometimes deal with in traveling, it is all very worth it.  I’m stoked to be headed to Vermont and wouldn’t have it any other way…  Well unless Southwest flew here…

OK, I have to add this…  I am in my room now, but all that you just read wasn’t the end of the travel woes…

So plane arrives in Vermont and I finally am on the other side of the continent.  I go to the car rental desk, and the guy is super helpful.  He pulls the car around for me to make it easier.  They even have a hand control installed.  They never forgot!  How charming!!  So I get in the car and try to drive.  Well the hand control is installed so low that I can’t accelerate.  Gas is push down and my leg is fully in the way.  I have the seat back all the way, still, leg is in the way.  Coasting around in drive is not really an option.  20miles an hour ain’t gonna cut it on the freeway!  This day just keeps getting better.  Being in a wheelchair you get pretty good at problem solving…  FIND A WAY… Remember from my talk…  So, I figure out that if I cross my right leg in sort of meditating Budhist fashion and slide all the way against the driver door, so my bruised knee from isle chair in the plane doesn’t hit the shifter, I can drive.  It is totally uncomfortable and very awkward.  But YAY I can f’n drive!!

All worth while though…  All worth while…  Colchester, I’m counting on you to be a kickass audience tomorrow (today if you watched me and are reading this now).  I hope I didn’t Budha drive to your school and get a bunch of duds.  I look forward to your comments tomorrow.  I’m confident you won’t let me down one bit!!  This is what I went through to get here.  All in a day of the life of KB!!

I’m going to bed…  Sweet accessible f’n dreams!!

Kevin

Well I am now officially home!  It felt great to sleep in my own bed last night and have a proper shower!! It was nice to drive my own vehicle and blast some METAL the way it should sound on my system…  Thunderous and LOUD!  I’m really into the In Flames these days.

I made my way home via Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.  I spoke in the old bootlegging hub of the AL Capone era yesterday at Riverview Collegiate.  I was first one in a series of presenters and spoke to around 800 grades 7 and 8s.  They were an awesome crowd who came along for the ride that is my story, and for their great behaviour I rewarded as promised with a couple videos.  My bungee video seemed to get people stoked!

I hung around for the remainder of the day and watched and or helped other speakers with their AV.  I was even referenced many times in a paramedic named Ray’s presentation, which I was honoured to be a part of.  At the end of the day I was asked to kind of wrap things up.  I was happy to grab the mic as I always enjoy projecting my voice and being “on”.

I attempted a think tank, and got some good response, but after such a long day the students seemed more into just having fun.  SO we broke into an impromptu Q&A period where I was asked many different questions.  The range was wide…

Q If I could ever walk again, what would be the first thing I would do?
A A long walk on the beach with my sisters

Q What is my favourite element from the periodic table?
A HEAVY METAL (that one caught me off guard)

Q Why do I enjoy sharing our story
A I love to take the tragedy and bring something good from it

Q Do I like Beiber
A I don’t really listen to him, but I do respect a Canadian kid from Stratford, Ontario (where I spoke years ago) who has worked hard for what he has earned and is a great role model for young people

Q If I could marry a celebrity, who would it be
A Beiber

Q If I could go on tour with one band, who would it be
A This one kind of stumped me, so I fumbled a bit and someone yelled out Beiber, in which I replied I can’t tour with Beiber because I am going to marry him and I don’t want to mix business with pleasure…

The questions kept coming.  I finally had to end the day because school was over and rides home and buses were waiting.  It was an awesome experience being a part of Moose Jaw’s Addictions Awareness Day and I thank everyone who attended as a guest, speaker or supporter and especially Erin and her support team for all their hard work!

It was homeward bound from Moose Jaw via the Regina Airport and Calgary.  But before I flew, I wanted to eat.  I spotted a Five Guys Burger and Fries joint along the highway and stopped.  The place was absolutely JAM PACKED!  My friend Robyn who I met through SADD Saskatchewan years ago met me for burgers, and we were hard pressed to find a seat.  Then out of nowhere a young teen approaches me and says “Kevin, you spoke at my school today.  You want a table??”  SO AWESOME!  Here is another reason why I speak…  No not so much free tables at packed burger joints…  More the respect I get from young people.  This gesture totally made my day!  Thanks buddy!!  I hope you read this.

I should wrap this up because I have a presentation at Terry Fox in a little over two hours.  I fly to Vermont tomorrow as well, so pretty jammed pack week. 

Thanks for reading!

Kevin

Sunday, November 27…  Man time flies by!

I will be leaving Winnipeg in a few short hours, but not quite home yet.  I’ll actually be in all three Prairie Provinces at one point today, before ending my travels in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.  I really hope I can watch the Grey Cup on the plane and that the wheelie table at Chili’s in Calgary Airport is free, so I can watch a bit there between connections.

The Friends For Life tour ended on a high note for sure.  The final two days were everything I could hope for and more.  In fact, the entire tour exceeded my expectations.  And that was no easy feat considering after my tour here last February the bar had been set really high.

My final two presentations of the tour were Transcona and John Taylor.  My friend Monica from MPI accompanied me on both.  My morning presentation at Transcona went great.  The large audience, sitting on the floor, were perfect.  At the end of the presentation, I spoke with dozens of students and heard much great feedback.  The first student who approached me discreetly handed me a razor blade to throw away.  Pretty awesome!  That makes 3 in a year now since I began sharing Abby’s remarkable story.  This was my first Canadian razor blade I’ve been given to throw away.  If you’re not following the significance of this… someone giving me their razor blade is their way of saying I am not going to cut or self-harm anymore.  Pretty amazing moment, to say the least!

There were some knarly partier guys who approached me and told me repeatedly how my presentation related to them and their choices they have been making.  I explained to these dudes that way back when I first thought I should speak in schools; I pictured guys just like them “getting it” because they would be hearing a story by someone who is like them.  I trust these new friends made some better choices this weekend.  It was hard to leave the school.  People just wanted to hang out and chat, and I was more than happy to do so.  Before I did finally leave Transcona Collegiate I was given a pretty cool arm band.  It’s black and has a four letter word written in white letters.  The same four letter word that the letter on my right ring finger symbolizes.  It matches well.  I in turn passed along my 9 Lives Wildcats arm band, which brought on tears of joy and appreciation by its recipient.  It was a pretty awesome morning!

After a quick multiple appy lunch at Joey (why they changed the name from Joey’s I’ll never know – sounds so dumb!) we headed for John Taylor.  Candy, the counsellor from the Thursday afternoon’s presentation was there, so all was set up and easy breezy good to go.  There was a brief We Day presentation before I took the stage, which had me wondering about time.  I really didn’t want to rush my final presentation of the tour or be cut short.  But thankfully I was assured by one of the staff who seemed to make the decisions that I had all the time I needed.  Say those words to me, and you’re getting a long one!

The set up was kind of awkward, but likely the only option due to the size of the student population.  There were about 15 rows of chairs on the floor, making it hard for the majority to see me sitting and speaking at their same height.  There were small bleachers to my left and a second story section of filled bleachers to my right.  This was basically 3 set ups in one.  Thankfully MPI provided me with a wireless lapel mic, so I was able to be mobile and weave in and out of the crowd.  It added a new element to my presentation, and I enjoyed this final talk.  Every point that I have added and worked out over the past 17 presentations I had time to emphasize, elaborate and ad-lib.  I talked about violence and guns in relation to my friend Chris’s passing a couple years ago.  I tied this in with bullying and even added cyber-bullying after seeing some pretty disturbing Facebook stills sent to me via a bullied student from Vermont.  Bullying led to suicide, which led to Jordan’s story, which was wrapped up explaining how by adding these issues to my story I have heard from many more students.  Although it went really long, I feel this was one of my strongest presentations of the tour and the year.

I felt great as I rolled out of John Taylor.  I had just given my all in my final presentation of an 18 school tour.  Students had shown me their appreciation and so had staff.  I felt a great sense of accomplishment and secretly kind of wished I had one more week left to tour around Manitoba with MPI.  In less than a year I have spoken in 38 Manitoba schools.  I have spent many days and nights here, seeing the city and countryside, meeting people, dining occasionally wining.  I have met many great people who I know I will be friends with for a long time…  Maybe even Friends For Life…  Such a great name for a tour.  No I never came up with it and am not tooting my own horn here. 

I`d like to thank everyone from MPI, T.A.D.D., and Manitoba School Board for organizing and inviting me to be a part of these tours.  HUGE thanks to all of the schools for accommodating and welcoming me into your halls, gymnasiums and occasionally theatres.  MASSIVE thanks to all of the students who have cheered, laughed, cried, thanked in person or wrote me, given me gifts or taken one away.  I do this for you.  I am also very thankful for the staff at the Inn At The Forks and The Current Restaurant and Lounge where I have slept, eaten and lived for a good 3 weeks of the last year.  I feel right t home here and never want to leave.  Hence asking for an extension on my checkout this morning!

The journey continues this afternoon onto my next location, but none of you or these experiences will be forgotten.  I truly hope to be able to make Manitoba an annual stop in my travels.  I love coming here, and I hope you all love me coming here too!

Well, I better get moving.  I have a big travel day ahead and a football game to try and watch.  Go Lions!  Haha.  After this great trip, I won`t be upset of the Bombers take it though.  Winnipeg is like a home away from home for me.  Go Jets!

Bye For Now.

Kevin

So today was the friggin’ BEST!  Can I keep saying that and it still have an impact??  Well, in my opinion I can, and I will say it again…  Today was the BEST!

I ended my first presentation this morning at Fort Richmond School in Winnipeg and watched my video and the audience as they watched it for the first time (all except the student who had seen me in Steveston / London School last year anyways – It was his second time seeing my video).  This feeling came over me.  It was a familiar one.  I have felt it before, but not enough for it to be at all taken for granted.  I don’t know the word or words to describe this feeling: Happiness, pride, gratitude, accomplishment, purpose, excitement.  All of these words fit, but not one alone begins to explain or justify this amazing feeling I speak of.  If you vocabulary is deeper than mine, please feel free to comment and help me on this one.

The video ends and I say exactly what I have been thinking through the entire video’s duration.  I can’t recall my exact words, but the jist of it was…  Eleven years ago when I was lying in a hospital bed, I would have never guessed I would be where I am today.  Lying in that hospital bed, my future seemed bleak.  It was terrifying.  So much so, I preferred then to not even think ahead of the moment I was living.  My world was broken.  I had broken other people’s world around me.  It was the worst feeling I have ever experienced.  But I never gave up.  I never quit.  I couldn’t.  I just kept going.  I was going forward, kind of, my life seemed backward.  Nothing was certain.  And I pretty much just existed with no plan and no goal other than survival.  Which leads me back to today.  I would never be where I am today, if I had of quit yesterday.  I am so grateful I never quit.  I am so grateful to be hear right now doing what I get to do each day.

After a standing ovation by the 1000+ attendees at Ft Richmond to glaze the cake, I spent well over an hour visiting with students and hearing their stories, and about their gratitude for me telling mine.  There is a chance if I didn’t have another presentation to attend this afternoon, I would still be at Fort Richmond right now.  I left the school on top of the world and want to thank everyone from today for being absolutely amazing to me.  Your were the perfect audience.  Thanks for the gifts, thanks for the thanks.  Many told me that today was the best presentation you had ever seen.  I felt as though today was as good of a presentation as I have ever given.  It feels pretty good to give your all and learn that it was recognized and appreciated.  Thanks, Thanks, Thanks!!

The only thing bad I can say about Fort Richmond students and staff is that you made it really hard for the next school to WOW me again!  You set the bar HIGH!

So I roll into Westwood.  And I will admit it is in the back of my mind that I am going to have a hard time topping the morning.  I learn that I am pretty tight on time on this second presentation.  But I see this challenge as a way to be inspired.  I have essentially two presentation scenarios.  I have one where I have all the time in the world to just relax and say what comes to mind.  The other, I have a certain amount of time to make every single point I want to make, and be heartfelt and effective.  The second is definitely more challenging, but who doesn’t like a challenge?

I dove into the afternoon presentation, speaking as quickly as I could while still making sense to my audience.  They were with me from the beginning.  And again there was that feeling.  I said everything I wanted to say.  I even made a few jokes.  The audience was there with me for the entire journey and by the end they were cheering for me so loud I could feel it rattle me from the inside.  What an awesome feeling again.  And as an added bonus…  some HEAVY METAL horns flying my way from the back row.  This afternoon presentation at Westwood complimented my morning presentation at Ft Richmond perfectly.  The ultimate one-two punch!  What an amazing day!  The BEST day!!

Thanks so much to everyone from Westwood today!  You were an absolutely amazing audience too.  You may not have known that the dude wearing a MANOWAR hoody sitting in a wheelchair before you had some HUGE expectations for you to fill when you first met me.  But if you’re reading this and I hope you are, I’d like to let you know that exceeded those expectations and blew me away today.  SO THANKS THANKS THANKS to you all!!

Tomorrow is the final day of the tour.  It’s hard to believe that I have spoken to 16 schools in 9 days all over southern Manitoba.  Each day has been an experience of a lifetime.  And as I sit here now writing this blog I just feel so grateful that I get to do what I get to do each day that I am here.  This tour is called The Friends For Life Tour and I feel like I have just made thousands of new friends.  I hope thousands of you feel like you have made one new friend named Kevin Brooks!

Speaking in schools wasn’t a plan.  I was going to be an electrician (I said this this afternoon) but sometimes plans change.  My greatest regret is that a young great man named Brendon lost his life.  And it will always hurt to know that my poor choice that night has hurt so many.  But on the darkest days, the light at the tunnel is the gleam in the eyes of thousands of teenagers who are hearing our story and having their lives changed positively because of it. 

I give you my all.  And you give me more than I think I could ever properly explain.  I hope this blog in the very least allows you to understand how much it means to me when you give me your attention and respect.  It means more than I think you know.

GIVE IT ALL

\m/\m/

Kevin

Day 8 of the tour today…  Today was a short one as I only had one presentation.  I spoke this morning at Kildonan East Collegiate in Winnipeg.  I learned before my presentation started that I had a little less than an hour to complete my presentation.  Ummm…  Kind of freaked me out, considering my talks are in the 75minute department again.  So with two cups of Joe providing the energy I spoke as quickly and understandably as I could.

The 400+ grade 10s at Kildonan East were awesome today!  Yet again, I had another positively memorable experience on this MPI Friends for Life Tour.  It was great to have my old pal from MPI, Adam, along today as well as Nate rolling out for some added support.

My afternoon presentation had been cancelled last week after another young man lost his life two weekends ago in a car crash.  So out of 20 schools in two weeks, 2 lost young men to car crashes.  I guess this is a sad reality check of how serious the issue of young people dying in motor vehicle crashes is in Manitoba, Canada, North America… and I am sure the world.  Hearing sad stories like these really makes me hope that the words I speak that are heard, remembered and used.

It was strange to have an entire day to myself here in Manitoba.  I took advantage of the plus zero temperature and sunny skies and did some rolling and exploring around The Forks.  I spent a good hour or so weaving in and out of tiny shops and markets.  I bought a few souvenirs and then headed back for my room, where I have been holed up and writing ever since…  About 6.5 hours now.  You may not be surprised that it didn’t take me many of these six hours to write this blog.  No, most of my time has been spent responding to students and I think the inspiring words and energy levels are depleted.  My gaslight is on, and I don’t think I’ll be filling up again until tomorrow.

I have two more speaking days left here in Manitoba then a weekend to hang out and explore.  It’s hard to believe how fast two weeks go by.  But on the same note, it seems like a really long time since I have been home.  This is my first big tour of the school year, and so far it has been great!  Let’s hope for more to come and if they’re even half as rewarding and awesome as this tour has been I will be stoked!

Thank you Manitobans for being the great people you are.  I feel right at home here, especially when I can wear a hoody in the middle of November!!

Night!

KB

Pretty sick day today.  I was feeling a lot less haggard than I was yesterday.  Not sure why, but I felt like a zombie yesterday, and if you read my last blog you may have noticed me not write like me normally would.

I had  a pretty decent sleep last night after filling my belly with scallops, chicken and spuds.  The food at the Inn at The Forks, where I am staying, is phenomenal.  So after my feast,  I read and responded to a few emails then went to bed feeling proud of the work I have been doing so far during this Friends For Life Tour.

My MPI chaperone du jour today was Monica.  She had been my contact throughout the booking process and I’d met her briefly at the media event last Friday then again at the dinner afterwards, but besides that I didn’t really know her.  That all changed today.  Monica likes Mad Caddies, Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise and a long list of punk bands I love as well.  Can you say insta-friends??  Insta-Friends For Life!!  I tend to bond instantly with anyone who digs punk or good metal.  I introduced Monica to Ellwood, a Mad Caddies side project, as we made our way to Woodlands.  Yeah. Yeah!  If you hit that last link tell me this band isn’t SICK!!

These tours are interesting because I basically type the location of my first presentation into my GPS each morning then just give’r to where she takes me.  I had no clue where Woodlands was.  I had no clue what age the students were.  In fact, my GPS only took me to the highway, so I had to use my finding-rural-schools-that-don’t-show-up-on-the-GPS instinctual skills that I have built over the years to locate our destination.

The sign said Woodlands Elementary School…  Hmm…  I thought maybe the high school was attached.  I asked the secretary inside if this was the high school and learned no it wasn’t.  Fortunately before I headed fast out the door to find the “high school” I supposed I was speaking at I was informed that on this morning I would be speaking here at Woodlands Elemntary School to grade 5 – 8s.  Now speaking to grade 5 – 8 is a lot different than say grades 10 – 12.  If you’ve seen my presentation or even just hung out with me for a while you’d know my sense of humour is not exactly always appropriate for your average 10 or 11 year old.  But I can keep er real when I have to…

So I watched my language and did my best to be relatable to little people more than a third my age (grade 7s & 8s you weren’t that little, but some of the folks up front were tiny!)  My talk ended up going longer than normal, which of course is really long, but the students whether they be wee or big were absolutely awesome!  I figured an hour plus of listening to some “old man” talk (they called me Mr Brooks) might be a bit much to expect.  Yet, there they were… these awesome students at Woodlands listening, participating and showing so much respect as I tried to keep them engaged.  It was a very special morning, and one that I will not soon forget.  You are all AWESOME if you read this.  And I am glad you were such good listeners.  I bet you never guessed I am as old as, or even older than ome of your parents.  Punk Rock keeps one young!  Or maybe it;s just the fact that I DON’T WANNA GROW UP!

Monica and mine’s next stop was Warren, where we had learned earlier that all of the high school aged students from  Woodlands, among others, attended.  We were welcomed into the school and fed lunch in the staff room.  We shot the breeze with teachers and counsellors and such while a very helpful teacher assembled the AV requirements for my presentation. 

The students at Warren were really cool today.  It was a pretty full room, and I chose to yell as opposed to wear a headset mic and look like Slapchop Guy or worse yet, Brittany Spears.  I feel like a bit of a prima donna when I decline the headset, but I am Kevin Brooks afterall, not Garth Brooks – no relation in case you were wondering!  So for about seventy minutes I projected my voice as loud as I could and all-the-while felt my words connecting with 200+ students.  This was a great way to compliment an already awesome day!  Thanks to everyone from Warren.  It was great hanging after and chatting and taking pictures too.  Oh and I think it’s safe to say that you tagged the Friends For Life banner today more than any other school to date that I have seen!  Nice work! Very Nice!

So that’s about it.  Back in my room now and firing off a blog before I head for Thai food.  As tasty as The Current restaurant is here at Inn at the Forks, I am going to be adventurous tonight.

This tour just keeps rolling along with one positive experience after another.  I am very grateful to be back in Manitoba and for the opportunity I have had to meet so many great people!

kòp kun táng

\m/\m/

Kevin

Last week ended on a high note…  A super high note! 

I spoke in Wawanesa as my final presentation of the week.  On a sad note, my Friday afternoon presentation had been cancelled.  It was decided to be too fresh after a after a boy was killed in a car crash the previous weekend who attended the school.  I couldn’t help but think last week that a family’s world had been torn apart by another tragic fatality.  This sad news was yet another reminder of how important it is to get this message out.  I only hope students hearing presentations make the connection and think before they hop in dangerous situations in vehicles.

The audience at Wawanesa were awesome!  As good as it gets!  I really felt on my game after nine presentations in five days, and it seemed to be working for the students in the auditorium.  Thanks everyone from Wawanesa!

From Wawanesa, Chris and I made our way to Winnipeg to hopefully catch the tail end of a media event promoting the Manitoba Public Insurance Friends for Life Speakers tour.  We indeed got to the event in time and were able to watch my dear friends and partner in The Drive To Save Lives, Cara Filler give her heartfelt presentation.  It is a rare occasion that I am on the audience end of a presentation, and it was nice to listen instead of speak for once.  Though I have to admit after hearing Cara’s powerful story and message I felt like grabbing the mic and giving an impromptu presentation.

I also met with many of the great people from MPI and T.A.D.D. Manitoba whom I had met last year.  The event had a very positive vibe, and it was awesome to see those responsible for bringing me back to Manitoba for the second time in less than a year!  Many of us met for dinner at the Spaghetti Factory in the Forks later that evening, before I headed for my bed and a great big and well deserved sleep.

The weekend went by pretty fast.  I got the rest I needed and was up early again today to speak in Carman.  Everyone at Carman today was awesome!  This was the perfect way to start week #2.  After a stellar hour and a half at Carman which included a presentation, an awesome Q&A, some good chill time with students and a radio interview, Jeanie (my MPI chaperone du jour) and I made our way to Morden via a drive-by lunch at Subway.

My afternoon talk in Morden was to a larger audience and just kind of fell together in time as the A & the V was causing some issues.  Actually it was only audio issues, but thanks to a great pit crew we got the presentation going.  The students were great.  They laughed at my jokes and seemed really interested in what I had to say.  It was yet another unforgettable double-header of a day for me.

I am now back at my hotel, and my brain feels pretty fried.  I am not sure why, and you may have noticed if you are a regular blog reader that I’m not firing on all cylinders right now.  So I am going to end this blog and go grab some dinner.  The plan for the night is to respond to as many emails as I can.  I have just under 60 emails lighting up my inbox.  If you’ve written me and haven’t heard back yet, this is why.  I will get to you.

I’m out!

Thanks for reading!!

Kevin

There isn’t a feeling I know better than to know I have helped someone out in some positive way or changed or saved a person’s life.  It’s why I will likely never be able to stop sharing my story with young people.  Here is just one example of the emails I get every single day.  This one made me smile.  They all do!

Hey Kevin,

First off, you’ll realize this has taken me almost half a year to write! Sorry about that! I’m not even sure if you will get to see this, as I’m sure you receive a ton of letters, but I felt like I should write anyway.

I was blessed with the opportunity to hear you speak this past summer at the National SADD Conference in Chicago, Illinois. As soon as I read your story in the agenda book, I made sure to remember to be downstairs early to get a good seat. Your presentation really changed my outlook on life. I could relate, in some way, to everything you had to say. My brother had neuroblastoma stage IV cancer when he was born, and our hometown doctors here in Iowa did not catch it. It then spread and damaged his spine. Consequently, he has been in a wheelchair his entire life.

When you mentioned your sister wishing on her birthday that you could walk, I was reminded of myself. I did the same thing for my birthdays when I was younger. I could also relate to the loss of your close friends, especially the suicide incident. I am now a senior, but I remember the events of my sophomore year as though they happened yesterday. The summer before that year, a friend hanged himself. Five days later, my best friend’s mom died of cancer. Only four short months later, he committed suicide – no warning, no note… Just gone. That was and still is the hardest thing I had gone through. I thought it was all over, but then in March, of that school year, a good childhood friend was messing around on buildings uptown and was accidentally electrocuted to death. Not even a week later, the day of his funeral, another friend committed suicide.

When our town felt like we would break if anything else happened, another acquaintance, who had just graduated only three or four days earlier, accidently overdosed on deadly combination of pills at a “pharm” party.

Now the point of telling you all of that is – your ‘slogan’ “Just Wiggle Your Toes” hit home with me, hard. When you started talking about the guilt, the emotions, the depression, etc. I immediately broke down as I realized I had felt the same way. Then when you told us to wake up each morning and wiggle our toes to remind ourselves to be grateful, I realized that I had been letting all of those events hold me back. I now wake up each morning and wiggle my toes. Every time something is really getting me down, I remember to be grateful for what I do have, instead of letting what I have lost drag me down from my full potential. Basically, what I am trying to get across by sharing all of this is that you helped me to be able to move forward. Even two years and a month later, the lost of my best friend is still surreal, but you helped me to really start healing.

I cannot explain how grateful I am to you for taking the time to come and speak to us. Your story, persistence, outlook, etc. are truly inspiring. I admire how you have turned a tragic event around to help other people. I know this isn’t enough to express my gratitude, but thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

Sincerely,
Morgan Chapman

P.S. I enjoy following you on Twitter & having you as a friend on Facebook. It is cool to see what you are doing and what you have to say about things. Also, your pictures have had a huge impact on my brother (as I have shared a couple) and I. I was amazed by the pictures of you bungee jumping in your wheelchair and shared them with him, as I feel he sometimes is discouraged by the fact he cannot walk. He thought that was the coolest thing ever, so thanks for showing others that they can do whatever they want!

Another good sleep in this morning, and another good day as well.  It was really cold again today.  I think I heard -21C with wind-chill or something.  Nothing compared to the -30C they are predicting for tomorrow.  It definitely feels like winter with the snow falling and my snot freezing!

My presentation this morning at Crocus Plains was probably the biggest of this tour.  There were close to 1000 students in the gymnasium, and I came in jacked on caffeine and looking to kick some butt.  Time was a bit of a factor (story of my life), but I got the ok to take what I needed – and I did.  But right near the end of the presentation there was an announcement, which to me seemed to indicate that most of the students needed to leave, so I wrapped things up as quickly as I could and ended without showing my video.  I always prefer to show my video, but it didn’t seem possible until a teacher gave me the green light!  Stoked!  I asked the students if they’d prefer to watch a video or go back to class, and no-brainer the consensus was VIDEO!  VIDEO!!  I got some good cheers and was met by many people to chat, shake hands, answer questions, hug and even sign a few John Hancock’s after my presentation.  Thanks everyone from Crocus Plains for being a good audience and big thanks to the T.A.D.D. group and teachers who helped get everything set up so quickly!!

From Crocus Plains, Chris and I headed west towards the Saskatchewan border to a town called Virden.  It was big little town or little big town depending on who you ask I suppose with a lot of oil beneath the soil.  We arrived early and had a cold pizza party in the student parking lot.  When the lunch bell rang we tried to decide whether the students wearily walking past us figured us for narcs or creeps.  Kind of awkward hanging in a high school parking lot, but hey where else are we supposed to hang out before a presentation?  I didn’t see a 7-11.

About 45minutes from show time, we headed for the school.  It was damn cold outside, so I left Chris to fumble with his set up materials by the car while I raced for the entrance of the school.  I rolled into the office, and the secretary kind of looked me up and down.  Her look seemed to beg the questions… “Dude in Mohawk wearing Rancid hoodie…  Who are you and why are you here?”  I said “hey I am the speaker.  I bet it was hard to tell since I am so dressed up eh?”  Ohh sarcasm, how I love thee!!

We met with the T.A.D.D. group inside the gymnasium led by a really cool teacher who not only recognized my Rancid hoodie, but also my Mad Caddies, Alkaline Trio and SNFU stickers on the back of my chair.  She had seen all of these bands apparently.  Punk Rock teachers!!  Where were you when I was in high school?  The T.A.D.D. group were friendly and helpful, and we were set up and ready to rock in no time.

There were a few hundred students on the floor, so I weaved through them as best I could as I spoke.  I felt I gave a strong presentation this afternoon and the audience response reinforced this.  I got two questions after my talk: 1) Can you do a wheelie?  cheeky and awesome and super funny! 2) What does GFYS stand for? God Forgive Your Sins, Good For You Son and Go Find Yourself of course!!  It was a fun presentation and a great group and school, and after an hour plus of hanging out, Chris and I headed back through the blistering snow to Brandon.

This is where I sit now.  Yeah for real!  I am sitting!!  Weird eh??  First priority is post this blog, and then we are going to hit a fancy restaurant for our final night in Brandon.  Maybe I should change this Rancid hoodie eh?  I’ll put on my MANOWAR one instead.

Thanks to everyone from today!  It was another awesome day in two great schools.  This M.P.I. tour has been a blast so far. Life on the road is good!!

I’m Gonna Stay Young Til I Die

Kevin

So each day just keeps getting better than the last.  I love being on tour.  Almost every moment of my life on the road is filled with positive moments.  Today was yet another GREAT day!! 

I started the morning in Brandon, MB (where I have set up shop for the week) at a school called Neelin.  This was the second biggest audience I have had on this tour.  I headed into the school a little rushed for time.  Have you ever noticed how when you are so close to somewhere it is hard to be on time, yet when you are far from somewhere you get there early?  This happens to me a lot. I even had a chance to sleep in today until 8am and did, but found myself responding to emails and writing a blog and overflowing my bathtub in my room and just feeling scattered this morning when I should really have been out the door already.

So no jacket and gloves (in -18C weather with wind-chill) and even more frightening NO COFFEE I began my day.  Everything fell into place this morning at Neelin thankfully, and my presentation started pretty well on time.  The audience was pretty awesome from the beginning.  They laughed at my jokes, were stoked on my punk rock wheelchair, responded to my skateboarding comments and were a really attentive group.  My talk is running around 65-70minutes again now in its new and I like to think improved form, so I went past the lunch bell.  I asked the audience if they were down to watch a video on their time and I didn’t hear any protest.  Seven minutes later I got my first standing ovation of the tour.  It was a beauty!  SO STOKED!!  I didn’t have much time before my next talk, so I hung out, hugged, high fived and posed for pictures with everyone I could before it was time to go.  I wish every morning could be like todays!!  Thanks everyone from Neelin.

It’s hard not to think it’s going to be hard to top that experience after the response I had just got at Neelin.  I think I even said it as I left the school.  But I have learned it is not so much about topping, as it is at least about matching or comparing.  My afternoon presentation and experience in Souris did not trump Neelin, but it was definitely on the same field, but then again in an altogether different league.

In the morning I had a mic and spoke to hundreds and hundreds of students from the city.  In the afternoon I just used my voice to speak to maybe one hundred and fifty students from a small rural town.  It’s nice to mix it up, and keep things fresh.  This afternoon was again an amazing experience.

I feel on my game.  I feel like I can really work a room again.  I feel like my good old self, and does it ever feel great!  I watched a room full of grade 7 – 12s come a long for a rollercoaster ride this afternoon as I shared my story.  The words came from my mouth with ease, meaning and sincerity, and from what I was watching they were being heard and felt.  I watched as lips began to quiver, eyes began to water and eventually emotion overcame teenage guys and girls.  And when it was all over, I really felt like I had made a difference this afternoon.  I was crowded afterwards by students who chose to hang out and chat with me rather than leave school for home.  It was after all the end of the day.  I heard stories of pain and loss, and hopefully was able to inspire these great young people I spoke to with so much potential to never give up, to think before they make bad choices and to at the very least be nice.

I left Souris today on top of the world.  With each positive experience I am having on this trip, I am reminded exactly why I love speaking.  I am reminded why I do this.  I am reminded of how lucky I am to be able to travel and inspire young people.  And I am reminded how important it is to share this message with young people.

I don’t do this for me.  I do it for all of you.  But you do something for me.  I think I kind of lost touch with that over the summer.  I found myself doubting that I could go out and speak in hundreds of more schools over the period of another year.  In the end, here I am.  And I am so grateful to be where I am.  Maybe I needed that little bit of question and doubt and fear even when looking back on last year and considering what lay ahead this year to be able to truly appreciate the experiences I am having right now.

I found a way today.  I found a way yesterday and the day before.  I will find a way tomorrow and I will keep finding a way to remain enthusiastic and inspired to share my / our story with you all.

Thanks to everybody from Neelin and Souris today.  Thanks to everyone who has wrote me over the past few days.  I will be getting to my emails after dinner.

Just Wiggle Your Toes.

Kevin