How The Internet Leveled The Playing Field For The Disabled
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by: RickLondon
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I am a 53-year old man who has been declared officially disabled for almost a decade now. I never really cared much for labels, but if our society deems it important for governmental reasons to put one on me, then, indeed, that's me.
I had worked for about two decades in a myriad of jobs such as sales, marketing, public relations, media production and the like. It was difficult for me to keep a job as I had depression, at least that is what I was "labeled" to have. I had been treated with antidepressants and talk therapy for many years but was not getting better. Finally, I was told I could not work, that "I was too depressed".
There are a few perks to being disabled. One is a lot of time to research and learn to use the Internet. It did not take me long to discover a disease called "TRD" or labeled by the psychiatric community, "treatment resistant depression". Not to my surprise, it turned out to be what I had the whole time. I was one of the few lucky ones who received the only treatment for it, a vagus nerve implant, which is no longer covered by most Insurance nor Medicaid. There was a very brief window of opportunity and I grabbed it. TRD is not depresion per se, but a dysfunctioing vagus nerve, of which I had, and it appears to be depression because it can cause symptoms of it, same as thyroid problems. I was tired all the time, in fact too tired to work. I was sometimes too tired to get out of bed after eight hours of sleep. After I received the treatment, my life took a 360 degree turn for the better. I did have one setback about eight years ago, a major heart attack, but I recovered rapidly, and did not let it depress me.
I occasionally still hear whispers, "He's disabled" or "He has depression, ya know." It doesn't bother me much. I have taken on the philosophy, "What someone else says or thinks about me is none of my business", and I mean it. I have found that the Internet has leveled the playing field. I say that a bit facetiously and with a bit of sarcasm, because, during my "depressed state", I was keenly aware of the discrimination targeted my way, though those who were being discriminating were not aware of my awareness. I suppose they feel we do not have feelings or sensitivity. They are very incorrect.
I have often been told that when one door closes another window opens. Though I find such cliches trite at times, it fit this bill perfectly. My life actually started, when I felt it had ended, when my 9-5 workdays were terminated. I never looked back and very glad I didn't.
With extra time on my hands, I learned to "nearly master" the Internet. I started a cartoon project with no money, Londons Times Cartoons which in less than a decade became the most visited offbeat cartoon site on the Internet (and still is). It's rankings keep growing and by the end of this month we will have had 9 million visitors within the past two years. That may not sound like much but for a cartoon site it is. Most cartoons on the Internet last from 3-6 months and the others are gone within a year.
These past 16 months, I've launched two cartoon Superstores and six niche funny gift shops. Sales remain brisk. I have affiliates through my manufacturer 3drose, many of them on Amazon and they sell plenty as well. I create all sorts of products with my cartoons on them; greeting cards, t-shirts, hoodies, key chains, coffee mugs, beer steins, wall and desk clock, baseball caps, and, you name it, we make it. All this is due to research on the Internet and making phone calls. Oddly enough, a disabled person, and that person is me, can write a lucid, professional email, talk on the phone professionally, create a social network and blog professionally, and write articles, hopefully professionally. The old boy network, who was once so involved in keeping a stigma attached to depression and/or disability is out of the picture now. I have no excuses anymore not to succeed. I now have the choice to pick and choose with whom I deal, and I choose to deal with intelligent fair-minded people who want everyone to have a fair chance to succeed. They are usually more educated than me and that is okay. From them, I learn the most.
When I create a new cartoon product, I generally create at least ten new jobs from artistry, to manufacturing, to drop-shipping, to heat press digital reproduction, to courier, etc. And I do it all from my home.
Oh, and this disabled person (that is, me) finished three years of business college online, at an accredited university at age 52. I am 53 now and plan to return next year to finish and go for an MBA. Again, on the Internet. Why waste time with people who are more concerned with "labeling" me so as to put parameters on my limitations, than those who know me just as a person and helping me succeed. I am not saying a depressed or disabled person should hide behind his or her computer all day, I spend plenty of time interacting with people, handing out business cards, going on talk shows, and doing as much as I can in the public.
In December 2008, I have launched 4 new online niches shops that my cartoon products; Justfunnymousepads, Justfunnycoffeemugs, and Justfunnygreetingcards, not to mention two weeks ago when I created the first cartoon maternity shop mirthgirthbirth.com which also sells infant wear and tees for kids, and of course my anchor site which is completely free, Londons Times Cartoons londonstimes.us , now ten years old.
Labeling is a bad thing. Have you ever noticed that a person with a mental illness or physical disability is the only person labeled by his illness or disease? If a person has MS, we don't say "She is MS!", or if a person has diabetes, I've yet to hear, "There goes Mr. High Blood Sugar!". But if a person has depression, it never fails, "He/she's depressed" or "has depression" or "mental illness". That usually puts an end to the conversation as the stigma remains and many don't want to know much more. That is unacceptable.
Some very accomplished people both living and dead have had depression or other disabilities. If interested, view some of the famous people with depression websites such as http://www.geocities.com/coverbridge2k/artsci/famous_people_depression.html , or http://www.angelfire.com/mn2/illstandbyyou/famous.html It tickles me to see my name on all these websites. There are hundreds of them; simply google "famous people with depression". Just look down the last name alphabetical list until you get to London. Rick London. He's this disabled person writing to you now.
About the Author
Cartoonist Rick London has overcome many challenges, and has some of the most visited humor-based websites on the Internet. His latest niche cartoon site is Just Funny Greeting Cards Disabled cartoonist Rick London opens yet another niche shop, cartoon greeting cards
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