Wonderful Plans Quite Wonderfully Growing

Dear Beloved Blog Readers,

It’s Christmas time!

It’s also a great time to think about all that we are “loving into place”. 

We are also observing that the days are dark and winter is here.

Please let’s take a moment to gather up some of the love that has been spilling forth since Emily found the right person to guide our project. Yes, Emily, you are correct he did not direct us. He said “Mark, I think you’re just going to have to love this all into place.” And he sent us love every day.

Oh, we have been using the theme of “loving it into place” ever since and I am thinking it is a great gift for all of you.

I am still recovering from my existential crisis which had me take a big look at my life and slip into a funk. I realize that it is easy to think your life is going to miraculously find its way after the push to move a big project into life. Of course, the big project I’m talking about is my movie.  I really joyfully know that you have to give a lot to life to get a lot back.

I am so amped up now that I am at Champlain Community Services. Here I have people who look in my eyes and see me. I am moving my plans forward for my business. Oh, I am so happy.

Merry Christmas to all!

I will be in touch with my New Year’s resolutions and I won’t disappoint as I have some great ones for all of you.

Fondly,

Mark

The Merry Man of Vermont

P.S. I want to tell you all that my movie received “First Place” in “Art and Theater” at the Alliance for Community Media (Northeast) Video Festival. I’m delighted that Jim Heltz traveled down to the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT to receive it. Please know you can purchase my DVD at any time by going to the shop on my web site.

Thank Full

Dear Beloved Blog Readers,

I am so thankful to have you in my life.

Last month I had the great experience of being interviewed by Erica Heilman for her podcast rumble strip Vermont.

As I mentioned many times this year I have had some low moments that were connected to my slowly acclimating my life to understanding how to use communication now that I have access to it.

In this podcast you can hear some of this struggle.

I am joyfully on the up rise and hope the same is true for all of you.

I am totally looking forward to the ways our lives connect us again.

It will be fun and magical.

Enjoy being you.

Fondly,

Mark

The Striper of the Vermont Rumble

Really Radiant Days Are Ahead

Dear Beloved Readers,

I am really excited that I am now receiving services at Champlain Community Services (CCS). It is a great move for me and I think this agency is going to benefit as well. I guess this sounds a bit presumptuous but I have been waiting a long time to get my life moving forward so giving myself this big praise feels healthy.

I have some cool things to announce.

On October 22 I presented a workshop for APSE; the Association for People Supporting Employment. This national organization has a chapter in Vermont which is chaired by Michelle Paya. Michelle created the Supported Self-Employment Program at CCS which I'll use to move forward with Utter Communication Strategies

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with people about having people with disabilities out in the work force. I opened with this remark.

I am Mark Utter.

I have a disability and I need assistance for many things in my life such as typing the thoughts I can’t say and prompts for my body which has a mind of its own.

I hold the esteemed history of working as a dishwasher at Sodexo for 15 years.

This makes a lot of people happy and I have to admit that I am dearly beloved there though I don’t feel people know I am much more than so many people see me as.

This is something I want to change so I am really glad I am here to have a conversation with you.

I made a movie about my life a few years ago.

In it I show my life and things I wanted to give my inside scoop on.

I did a scathing critique on a yearly award ceremony that was fictional but believable.

I want to share that and then I will ask a few questions and well see what happens next.

Here is how I addressed them afterwards.

I think what you do is awesome and the special ways we fit into the work force is the way to go to welcome our form of diversity into the mainstream of life. I know many of you strive to make interesting and meaningful good employment places.

I want to hear a few comments about what this scene feels like.

The scene totally hit home with them in a good way.

I loved all that they said.

I ended with this hopeful comment.

I am dearly hopeful about all our work endeavors and wish us all the best growing we need to do it and dearly look forward to our assured success my dear friends, colleagues and coworkers.

Really great that I had that chance.

I dearly look forward to all I am going to do here at CCS.

Fondly,

Mark

The Dear Worker for Change