Hello everyone! Over the years people have been asking me a lot of questions about my life and how I play this game, despite my disability. Questions one "how are you able to play the game?" and it"what happened to you to make you disable?" I have no problem telling you all about it.
HOW DO YOU PLAY THE GAME?:
I use a few devices and techniques in order to play the game. The first device that I use, and most important is a device called a "Mouth Stick." It basically consists of a mouth grip/guard that goes into my mouth, and I clamped down on it with my lips and teeth. From the grip goes a long stick like pole and at the end is a flexing pointer that I can bend in any position that I would like. In combination with the mouth stick I use a trackball mouse. I steer the ball off the mouse with the tip of the mouth stick to move the cursor around the screen. And I press the button by clicking them with the mouth stick also. I type in many different ways. The first way I typed is by pecking the keys on my miniature keyboard with the mouth stick. The second way is a using a program for voice recognition typing. Thirdly Windows XP has a program called "on-screen keyboard" under the accessibility section on the start bar. I set up the keyboard to "Key Hover," which basically means I steer the cursor over the desired onscreen keyboards letter and leave it there for a half a second, and it types the latter. That is basically how I operate the entire computer and game strictly by the movement of my entire mouth.
It took me quite a while to figure out how to work around my disability in order to play the game. But I have been playing for about four years now and I think that I am pretty good at the game. Despite my mobility. I am constantly learning new operation and techniques in order to play the game with you all. Especially when it comes to PVP.
I think that sums up how I play the game. I will now explain what happened to me and put me in this position. I'm going to submit a paper that I wrote in college about my experiences. If after reading my paper, any of you have any questions please feel free to ask. There is nothing that anyone could ask that I would not answer. There is nothing that you could ask that would upset me, or embarrassed me. I actually like answering peoples questions, because it saves me a lot of headaches, because people do not have to make up their own assumptions about me. I am a very respectful and easy going guy with a great sense of humor. So please enjoy.
I have not always been disabled. When I was younger I wrestled for the Haddon Township Hawks. I acted like any child would at age 11. On October 22, 1992 I was playing at a friend’s house near my own. Because we were bored, I said to my friend “Why don’t we do your dad a favor and rake the leaves in your yard.” We raked the leaves near a platform in his backyard. When we were done, we decided to jump off the platform into the leaves. I told my friend to pretend like he was shooting me, and I'd fall back. As I walked to the edge of the platform, one of the boards I was standing on began to tip, throwing me head first into the leaves. I remember falling; everything seemed like slow motion as I fell. Once I hit the ground I could here the board fall in the background. When I hit the ground, I broke my neck instantly paralyzing me. When I say instantly I mean not even two seconds after the fall I tried to get up but couldn't. Not only were my motor abilities paralyzed, but my breathing stopped. I tried to yell but couldn't because I was unable to draw a breath. That fall changed my life because from that moment on I would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair.
My friend thought I was kidding. He jumped off the platform and rolled me out of the leaves. I was not really scared, but just really confused. The thing that came to mind was my friend needed to get help for me. Only thing I could do was mouth, "Go get your sister." He realized what I was trying to say and ran to get his sister. I remember lying on my back staring at the sky. I can still feel the cold damp ground on the back of my neck. I can still see looking at the sky through the bare trees in his yard. I just started thinking what was happening, is this a nightmare?
Probably two minute after the fall I passed out due to a lack of oxygen. By the time his sister got to me she had noticed I was in bad shape. She told my friend to call my house to inform my family. They had just sat down to dinner when the phone rang. My sister Maria answered the phone and was told the news. My sister told my family, "Tony got hurt." My Dad told my sister to go get me.
When she got to my friends house and saw I was unconscious and that my friends sister was performing CPR she became scared. Maria ran inside to their phone to call home. This time my Mom answered. My father knew there was something serious just from the look on my Mom's face. He shot up from his chair throwing it into the wall. He rushed out of the house into the car. He panicked so quickly he forgot to take my mother with him. My father took over CPR when he got there. My father had learned CPR from the TV show "Rescue 911."
About twenty minutes after the fall I woke up in an ambulance. I couldn’t talk because I had a tube that went into my mouth and down my throat to help me breath. I tried to sit up but I couldn’t. I was totally paralyzed. Whenever I become scared, or angry I clench my teeth. I was crushing the tube with my teeth. The medic said, "If you keep clamping that tube you'll be unable to breath." I was on my back on a stretcher, my mother was by my head near the front of the ambulance I had never seen her so scared in my life.
When I arrived at Cooper Hospital, they took me into the emergency room right away. There were about five doctors working on me at once. None of them were telling me what was wrong, or what they were doing. I was so scared that I passed out. When I woke up again, I did not know where I was or what was happening to me. I was terrified. The room was pitch black. In the background I could hear a machine beep every second. Each beep represented my heart beet. Once again I tried to get, or scream for help but couldn't. I started to panic that the machines beeps were getting quicker. My heart rate was out of control because I was working myself up. The beeps woke my father up who was sleeping in a rocking chair. He ran over and he was holding the only way I could communicate. Through a letter board. Someone would point to a letter and I would blink when they pointed to the right letter.
The first sentence I spelled was, "I'm sorry." He said, "Why are you sorry?" I replied, "I'm sorry I never told you I loved you." Before I got hurt I was the type of person who never said how I felt about people. I had to tell someone how I felt about them, because I thought I was going to die. I thought if I didn't tell someone before I died my life would have been a waste.
What reminds you of home? Is it the place you grew up? How about your family and friends? Or could it just be your safe place? Most of you probably think it's all of the above? Well this isn't a test; it’s a reality check. Imagine you're eleven years old, and have to spend months from home in a hospital. How would you react? Well, I'll tell you what I went through, and how I got to where I am today.
After I fell, I was rushed to Cooper Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. My fears began here. Day after day I spent lying on my back in a rotating bed. The bed rotated every five minutes from one side to the other. The reason for this bed was to clear the pneumonia developed from constant mucus filling my lungs. My lungs were having a difficult time adapting to the ventilator. Causing my lungs to produce excessive amounts of secretions. Thankfully my pneumonia cleared up in a matter of weeks.
To make matters worse I had a tube in my mouth, and down my throat in order for me to breathe. So I was unable to speak. I had so many questions to ask, and things to say but couldn't. The only way of communication was by someone pointing to a letter on an alphabetical board. When they would point to a letter I'd blink to indicate that's the let I wanted. It became very frustrating because I'm a terrible speller. People had a very tough time understanding my vocabulary. At times it would take minutes to say stuff like "Hi" or "I love you."
About two weeks after my fall the doctors decided to perform a tracheotomy on me. They made a little hole in the center of my neck, near my Adams apple. The hole was from my neck to my trachea tube. They then insert a disposable tube called a trache. The benefit of having a trache is I was able to eat, drink, and speak while the ventilator still breathes for me.
It was actually pretty funny with the trache at first. I had to learn how to speak again. What little voice I could get out made me sound like a frog. I'm not saying it was easier to speak with the trache instead of the letter board. I still at times had to still use the board. It took me months to increase my speaking skills.
I began to be home sick about a month after my fall. They began to stop sedating me, which is when the nightmares began. I had never been away from my family. My Dad worked all day, and my Mom stayed home to take care of the children. I didn't get to see my family as much as I needed.
I could barely sleep in the hospital. I was missing my bed, and room. Not only that there were babies crying all night. It would get so bad that I would just shutdown from sleep depravation. The sad thing is I wouldn't let myself sleep long in fear of being alone. I'd wake up sweating, and screaming for my parents. I was so petrified of being alone that I had my home phone number taped to my chest so anytime I'd wake up like that the nurses would call home, and my Dad would rush over.
The thing that scared my parents, and I the most was there were people with my similar injury dying practically next to me. I really wasn't scared, but curious. That was my first expedience of death. I think the part that scared my parents the most was I asking, "Am I going to die like this?" Now that I'm older I realized how hard that must have been for my parents to answer that. I hope my children never ask me that, because I wouldn't want to choose between lying and telling them the truth.
I spent approximately a month in Cooper Hospital. In mid November, I was transferred to Alfred I. DuPont Institute of Rehabilitation for Children in Delaware. This hospital was my home for the next six months. I was forty-five minutes from my friends, family, and home. At age eleven, you can't survive without these three things. Especially, around the holidays. I only was able to see my family on weekends, and holidays. I basically was around strangers most of my days. My family did try there hardest to be there for me. Every time they were there it was the greatest feeling.
Every minute they were there they pushed me to do anything I was able to do. It was kind of a supportive therapy for me and an update of my abilities for them. The doctors and nurses always said, "You're pushing him too hard." My family and I disagreed totally. There is nothing "too hard" in this world. As long as you have these goals set in your mind they are accomplishable. I set goals all my life, some I still haven't accomplished, but before I die they will. I believe when you stop setting goals/dreams for yourself you're close to death.
As for my friends, I didn't see them. I had lost my friends (So I thought). That was the hardest thing for me to overcome. I would cry all the time because I couldn't face the thought of my friends doing things without me. It was extremely hard to survive without any friends. I gave up on life almost. Until one day, two months after my accident.
I remember it like it was yesterday. The night before the therapists had been trying me in a motorized wheelchair. The next morning I got up early in the wheelchair. I drove out of my room into the unit hallway, and parked by a window. Staring out the window I saw kids around my age playing with their friends. I just remember thinking I'm never going to play with my friends again. I began to cry, but something in my head said turn your chair. When I turned my chair left there was my best friend Brian, and his Dad walking up the hallway to see me. That was the first day in months that I smiled.
This amazing guy came every holiday, and anytime he didn't have school to visit me. It's impressive because most kids want to play with their friends, not visit them in the hospital. He wasn't like that at all. The best part about it was he never pitied me. Suddenly life was worth living again knowing I still had a friend.
Over these months I still went to school. It was a little classroom with computers for each student. This is where my life of computers began. My home school was sending examples of what my classmates were doing. I always flew through the work my teachers gave me. This was odd because I use to struggle with my work in school before I got hurt. My grades went from borderline failure, to high honors. I guess I just was very lazy. It took me to become disabled to realize I have a brain; maybe I should start using it.
With my spare time I learned everything about computers and devices useful for the disabled. I even gave my opinions on what devices would be suitable for some students. I monitored their computers as well. By the time I left the hospital I had surpassed the teachers’ skills in computers.
Not only did I have school, but I also had my therapies as well. I was different from other patients the therapists said. Reason being I had more physical abilities. Most importantly I had the mental strength to want to do better for myself. Therapists came to me with idea of different types of physical actives, and exercises. I would also suggest techniques on doing their ideas just to make it more challenging for myself.
On April 28th, 1993 I was discharged from AIDI. I was ready to start my life over. It was my second chance to make an impression. I wanted nothing more then for people to know if I could do this, they could too.
On April 28th, 1993 I was discharged from the hospital. After spending six months away from home in the hospitals' I learned a lot of things. I leaned things about the disabled, grades having meaning, computers, and most importantly respect. I was ready to start my life over again.
I had to wait until the beginning of September to go back to school. I was really very excited. My parents feared something about me going back to school. They feared I wouldn't be able to take the staring or criticism from my classmates. So they gave me two options. Either to take the chance of going back to regular school or be home schooled. I said, "I want to be treated like a normal person, and go back to my old school."
I remember being so excited for my first day that I couldn't sleep. I noticed the change immediately. My old friends ignored me; people stared, and talked behind my back. By the end of the day I was so upset. I remember everyone went out for recess except my best friend Brian. He was by my side since I first got hurt. He noticed I was upset and knew why. He said, "Tone, you know why everyone seems to be ignoring you? Well, they're not, they're just scared. They are unsure what the same is, and exactly what's different. You need to teach us."
The next day I went to my health teacher and said, "I'm tired of being treated differently. I need to teach my classmates about the disabled, and to let them know how important respect is." Three days later I taught my class how I got hurt, and what I went through. I got them to realize I'm the same person inside. I wanted them to feel comfortable so I allowed them to ask me any question on their mind.
It took me about a month to teach every kid in my school, which are approximately six hundred students. Word of the impact I set on the students got around town. Soon other schools started asking if I could do the same.
In high school I did the same. We had a major problem with students fighting, disrespecting teachers...ECT. The school thought if I were to educate the students it may change their altitudes. When I began to teach everyone was attentive. It shocked the teachers to know how different they acted. My talks to those kids made a big impression on them. I've gotten phone calls from parents thanking me.
My senior goal in high school was to educate every student in my district (forty-five hundred students, one hundred classes, in nine schools). It took me from October 1999, to June 2000. I not only did it for myself but I did it to be sure that any student would have a fare chance of not being insulted for any reason. I hope to think I was successful.
Out of surprise at graduation my principal mentioned me in his farewell speech. He said, "The saddest thing that will be missed is the heart of this class, and that is Tony Tassogloy. To see how much one student has touched the lives of thousands, and never asked anything in return will be sorely missed."
Even though I'm a graduate of Haddon Township I'm still asked to teach the students of my town. This year alone I've taught over twenty-five classes. I don't look at it as a job, but as confidence builder for myself. I have enjoyed doing it, and always will. I think it’s the smartest thing I've ever chosen to do.
with my type of injury I shouldn't be able to move, breath, or feel sensation; however, I can do all three. I've written to doctors saying, "Why am I different from other quadriplegics? How am I able to move, breath, and feel sensations when others in my condition can't?" I get the same answer back from every doctor, "Mr. Tassogloy, we don't even understand how you survived the night of your accident."
Even in the rehabilitation hospital doctors judged my abilities. I would move and the doctor called it a spasm. I mean, I almost gave up. Cause every time I tried to prove any of my abilities of hope, they would throw it back in my face. I started to believe what they were saying.
Until one day I said, "My doctor's may have given up on me, but I haven't." I started pushing myself to gain back what I could. The physical and occupational therapists had a field day on me. They got to try things they had dreamed of doing with their other patients.
At the time I got hurt, spinal rehabilitation was rarely new thing. People with spinal injuries were immediately set a limit to what they could do. With my state of mind I broke limits never touched by children in my condition. For people to see a quadriplegic playing wheelchair hockey, soccer, archery, etc. was impossible to the eyes.
When I went back to the hospital for a visit in 99' the therapist's showed me a slide show. The hospital's therapist's show this slide show to the parents of a child coming to the hospital. The slide show shows what the hospital has done for the children. Just about every slide had me doing something. It was really very inspiring to see how far I've come.
It made me appreciate that if I put my mind to something I could accomplish anything... Now ten years later my motor-skills have progressed amazingly, I have full sensation, and I only use my ventilator when I'm tired. I think I've done pretty well for myself. I'm not a quitter, never have, never will. Yes, I believe one day I'll walk again. I just have to continue fighting for that goal.
Mini I think that you are an inspiration to us all. Its people like you that overcome great obstacles that can help others realize how much they have in this life. I wish the best for you and ask only one thing….. Keep pushing on man…. For all of our sakes. I only hope I can get to know you a little better and maybe some of your courage and drive will rub off on me ;)
I use a few devices and techniques in order to play the game. The first device that I use, and most important is a device called a "Mouth Stick."
I still remember the first time you told me this in vent. I was like...dang bro forget why I thought you always had a froggy voice; it's freaking amazing that you can still fully activate this game! Anyways bro props to you and how you doing foo? You haven't responded to my email I sent you over 3 weeks ago!
Thank you very much for your kind words. It is really appreciated. If any of you are interested in getting to know me either write me here or message me in game. I would really like to get to know new people.
I use a few devices and techniques in order to play the game. The first device that I use, and most important is a device called a "Mouth Stick."
I still remember the first time you told me this in vent. I was like...dang bro forget why I thought you always had a froggy voice; it's freaking amazing that you can still fully activate this game! Anyways bro props to you and how you doing foo? You haven't responded to my email I sent you over 3 weeks ago!
:) it's really good to see you! I have to miss talking to you man! I am really glad to know that you are safe! I never got your e-mail, make sure that you have the correct address. I will tell Fidora to give you the correct e-mail address.
When are you coming back? I would really like to play in game you with as soon as possible. My subclass is almost 73. Now I can go to Pagans Temple with you. HAHA!
I hope to hear from you all very soon! Thank you very much again for reading, and then replying. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you have any questions feel free to send them now, no need to be embarrassed nor shy. I'm not. :D
Wow, after reading that I seriously have tears in my eyes. I think I might copy and paste this and have it read to the football players next week at practice. We love to show them anything is possible with the right attitude, and no doubt you have it. You absolutely have my utmost respect.
If it was about a pragraph longer I'd burst into tears. It's always nice to see people overcome difficulties like these and live their lifes. Btw are you greek ? Your last name sounds greekish.
I'm in complete awe after reading that; that is the most surreal, intense thing I've ever read. You are honestly a very inspiring person, and I hope you achieve every goal you set out for yourself. :)
I was close to tears,when i read your story tbh
You have all of my respect, you are a very strong person.
I wish you the best and hope you will reach your goals!
mini :) u realy understand how to make me speechless, and as i have said befor i have so much respect for u and will allways have, u r a man whit guts to overcome you goals::) man after reading your post`s u nearly made me cry iam sad how it all happend to u, but iam **** glad how u r a as a person and a very good hearted person u r....man mini i only have a few words to say......respect, courege and friend
I knew mini was awesome player, and overcame obstacles due to a disability, but I glad to actually hear the whole story. I pty'd with mini a few times, and as a fellow midget its always been fun. Just goes to show you if you put your mind to it you can accomplish anything.
:) the few years I have been working hard on writing my autobiography. I always had doubts that people would be interested enough to want to read. And to see that people are replying with positive feelings and are actually getting emotional, as if you can almost feel what I went through. I now know that if this brief sections of my autobiography can do that to people then the book would be actually worth finishing and publishing.
I really appreciate everyone's kind words. Not too many question. I did not expect that. When I lecture children from the age of five to adults in college, I am used to answering all of their questions. They are all very intelligent questions, even personal, and I am really glad they asked. I have 80 motto that I tell them, "If you have courage to ask me a question, I have the courage to answer it."
Here are my reply to questions I was asked. If I missed any please ask me again. If you have a question don't be embarrassed to ask. :)
1. Yes I am pro-stem cell research. I am however not obsessed for them to find a cure. Don't get me wrong, if there was ever a cure would be a great candidate. I would be really happy to walk again. But I am who I am today, because I had learned very young to spend my entire focus on the future and figuring out who I am right now and not who I used to be. A lot of people in my position become really upset and suicidal because they are constantly trying to get back to the way they were. I am not that way. I worked very hard to get where I am today. I went to college to obtain a Masters degree in software engineering, and I now have my own digital designs and system services Co. making really good living for myself and my family. My company name is "A New Beginning INC." (my autobiography's name will also be A New Beginning). The reason I am successful and very motivated is because I had to grow up and move on with my life.
2. Yes I am 50% Greek,I am also 25% Irish and 25% German. You can see right there that I inherited stubbornness, and I do not let people take advantage of me, nor hurt me or my family/friends I love and care a lot about (you can see a bit of that rubbing off on my character). Plus I have a really understanding, civil, fun and funny guy. I was born and raised in New Jersey, USA. I speak Greek fluently, and I can read Greek partially.
3. "mininitro is the most skilled lineage2 player ^^," <=> What can I say I have a very strong and talented mouth (so women keep telling me). Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!
4."mini u realy understand how to make me speechless, and as i have said befor i have so much respect for u and will allways have, u r a man whit guts to overcome you goals::) man after reading your post`s u nearly made me cry iam sad how it all happend to u, but iam **** glad how u r a as a person and a very good hearted person u r....man mini i only have a few words to say......respect, courege and friend " *BLUSHES* <=> Thank you so much my friend! I do not see myself as anything special. I did what I had to do in order to survive. Just like anyone else would do. I never dwell on the past, and I try to flourish my future.
I look forward to talking to you all soon, and possibly reading more replies. Have fun and be safe.
P.S: sorry for making you all cry. You are welcome to PK me in game for making you all cry. HAHA!
I've ran into you when I used to play on Gustin. You play very well. If not for this post I would not realize you have a disability. My tip my hat to you.
but guys... remember, mininitro want us see him as a normal player and he do it very fine with his special keyboard.
mininitro teached me use the siege golem and the siege
canon one time in rune siege, i was very glad of have a teacher like him . he is really a good Maestro and omg his sub is hilarious doing double shot...
Thank you very much for your kind words. It is really appreciated. If any of you are interested in getting to know me either write me here or message me in game. I would really like to get to know new people.
I use a few devices and techniques in order to play the game. The first device that I use, and most important is a device called a "Mouth Stick."
I still remember the first time you told me this in vent. I was like...dang bro forget why I thought you always had a froggy voice; it's freaking amazing that you can still fully activate this game! Anyways bro props to you and how you doing foo? You haven't responded to my email I sent you over 3 weeks ago!
:) it's really good to see you! I have to miss talking to you man! I am really glad to know that you are safe! I never got your e-mail, make sure that you have the correct address. I will tell Fidora to give you the correct e-mail address.
When are you coming back? I would really like to play in game you with as soon as possible. My subclass is almost 73. Now I can go to Pagans Temple with you. HAHA!
I hope to hear from you all very soon! Thank you very much again for reading, and then replying. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you have any questions feel free to send them now, no need to be embarrassed nor shy. I'm not. :D
Well bro I get back sometime early October. I don't know what my L2 situation will be like then. I will sort of be in limbo between taking leave to go back home and see my parents and siblings as well as leaving soon after to be stationed in Bahrain (a small island nation in the Arabian Gulf). I will be in Bahrain sometime in December. Definitely by December I will be able to be fully engadged in L2 if not sooner.
Concerning Pagans, yes we will definitely have to do it up there. You have no idea how many people have been asking me about Pagans when I get back! Hopefully our enemies will not see this ^^! If they do they better not mess with us because I will have the now famous MiniNitro in my group! Therefore they will give us respect and let us be ha, ha.
Take it easy bro, TTYL via email or forums, and cya in-game when I get back ;)
Wow. I am duly impressed with everything you have accomplish and are determined to continue to do with your life. I know a lot of peoples could learn a lot from you, I plan to print your post out so my kids can read it, hopefully it will give them a new respect for the disabled as it has me. You have my complete respect Mini. Gratz on you accomplishments and best wishes on the goals you have set for yourself.
Definately need a tissue.
I do hope that you complete you book and publish it, I for one would love to read it.
This story should be a feature on the main page! Alyra do your job!!
That would be really cool! We could submit the story, and then have everyone send me questions, and I would answer them. Kind of like an interview. Plus I think it is only fair that I make the entire servers cry. HAHA! What do you think?
Wow. I am duly impressed with everything you have accomplish and are determined to continue to do with your life. I know a lot of peoples could learn a lot from you, I plan to print your post out so my kids can read it, hopefully it will give them a new respect for the disabled as it has me. You have my complete respect Mini. Gratz on you accomplishments and best wishes on the goals you have set for yourself.
Definately need a tissue.
I do hope that you complete you book and publish it, I for one would love to read it.
I have always felt everything happens for a reason. I was put on this earth for some reason, and I believe it was to help people by comforting them and helping them with their problems; along with warning them about consequences. Over the years I have actually helped people get over addiction, steer them away from suicide, talked then to respect people and especially their friends and families, how to overcome serious problems, and to like themselves. And I'd do it like I am doing it right now, talking to you all about my experiences in trials and tribulations and it seems to really influence people to find the right direction in life.
everbody need a pktissue!!!
but guys... remember, mininitro want us see him as a normal player and he do it very fine with his special keyboard.
mininitro teached me use the siege golem and the siege
canon one time in rune siege, i was very glad of have a teacher like him . he is really a good Maestro and omg his sub is hilarious doing double shot...
She is very right. I wanted to share this with you all because I have built a good relationship with a lot of you all in this game over the past four years of playing. I wanted everyone to know the true "me." I am not one of the disabled who thrive on people's pity (which I am really glad to see everyone has not given me pity). I wanted to build a much stronger and more vast friendship with more people on the server or any other server. You can never have too many friends. I'm a very honest man, who is really fun and funny, and very respectful. Up until someone crosses me or try to hurt me or my friends. :)
I love doing my siege Gollum's and Hog Cannons. I especially like teaching people how to use them. So teaching Ebil was fun and funny. HAHA! She is too cute!
I love my subclass and so does everyone else. Everywhere I go people are always asking me to double shot them. I always thought of it as a cool, but odd request to flag on someone and not get flagged on in return! LOL it is just so deviously fun!
I have to siege this evening, so look for me on the field and good luck to the defenders! To the defenders: I hope you understand this is just for fun, if by chance my clan takes the castle I expect you to come back in two weeks and try to take it back. I think that's the best fun we could have. If anyone wants to come and help let us know.
I will talk to you all soon. Thanks again for reading and replying. Keep those questions coming, don't be shy! :)
I miss the malevolence days parting with ya in toi
:) :)
Im glad you posted this, was a very intresting read. You are a great writer.
I was very touched by the part where you speak of the doctors telling you, you cant do it. I had an accident as a child right around the same age (10) and the doctors did the same thing to me, told me I would never walk again. Proved em wrong!
You can do anything you set your mind to bro, keep at it!
very nice post bro. My brother jumped from a tree at age 12 and became paralized from the waiste down, and i remeber how sinceless it all seemed and had a hard time understanding how just that one simple act could have so bad of an outcome. He is now 30 yrs old, married and has a son(he drives better than i do tbh). So it is an eye opener for me anytime people turn tragidy into triumph and inspiring. Really lets me know the things in life shouldn't be taken for granted, yet we all seem to. Good post bigman, you should publish the book. Enjoyed siegeing with you at Gludio a few weeks back even though im a miestro too make you the compatition hehe. ;) p.s im a horable speller to this day!
Dude, this really touched my soul. When you get done with that biography i want a copy.
I have been sitting here just TRYING to imagine how you play L2...even after you went into details and explained it i still can't imagine it. This is prolly the one and ONLY time i am gonna havta agree with Ebil (pains me to say that...it really does).....
Utmost respect to ya bro...
About the Autobiography, publish it, I will buy a copy of it for sure.
You show strength and courage in abundance. Sometimes I do the simplest of things and fail. You overcame some of the hardest things in life and make it sound so simple.......
I can't really add anything, everything has already been said. You certainly put life in perspective hun. I have no idea how I would have coped with all you have gone through but I know for certain it would not have been half as admirable as the way you have gone about things.
Your courage, determination and 'making the best of life' attitude shines through your post. You're an inspiration to all - definately write that book :)
Wow, after reading that I seriously have tears in my eyes. I think I might copy and paste this and have it read to the football players next week at practice. We love to show them anything is possible with the right attitude, and no doubt you have it. You absolutely have my utmost respect.
Oh and I heard about what CC did to you today at the Innadril siege boo on them! They deserve a server wide beat down!
Yes it was very dishonorable way to take a castle... a party of my entire clan broke down the front gates, killed the guards, took down most of the inner door, and when I started to pray Clearly Clueless stab in the back by killing us and taking the castle. They should have just killed us when we left town. We wouldn't have bothered!
ahh mini..
I miss the malevolence days parting with ya in toi
:) :)
Im glad you posted this, was a very intresting read. You are a great writer.
I was very touched by the part where you speak of the doctors telling you, you cant do it. I had an accident as a child right around the same age (10) and the doctors did the same thing to me, told me I would never walk again. Proved em wrong!
You can do anything you set your mind to bro, keep at it!
I never listened to anyone who said I cannot do it! The first time I found out that I was getting mobility and being able to breathe off of my ventilator was one evening. I was in the hospital, sitting up in bed watching cartoons, when all of a sudden the tube popped off of my ventilator (not being able to breathe for me anymore). At first I was okay because I was saying to myself, "No big deal, the nurses will hear my ventilator alarming and will come in here and put it back together." I waited about a minute and noticed that they were not coming. I remember becoming totally paranoid, because I could not breathe, and I did not think that they would come in time. I remember that I started to cry. About two minutes in the middle of the ordeal I said to myself, "Stop crying and try to breathe!" About a minute and a half went by after I started to breathe on my own I noticed that I was not passing out so breathing on my own was actually working. So I calmed down and paid total attention to breathing on my own and watching my cartoons. Almost 10 minutes since the tube popped off, a nurse came in to put me back on! After that I started doing orientation with a respiratory therapist in order to try and teach myself to breathe all over again.
Mini I <3 you dirty greek borther and i miss you >_<!!!
oh hows the ol' lady?
And you alrdy know you have my respeck!!
I miss you too man! Message me in game sometimes!
mininitro is the most skilled lineage2 player ^^
Dude, this really touched my soul. When you get done with that biography i want a copy.
I have been sitting here just TRYING to imagine how you play L2...even after you went into details and explained it i still can't imagine it. This is prolly the one and ONLY time i am gonna havta agree with Ebil (pains me to say that...it really does).....
If you all want I can post a bunch of pictures of me operating the computer or even a video.
I think that mini has respect from everybody by the way that he treats ppl.. that guy cares
Hello KOS :P
HAHAHA! Hello my friend! I care about everyone. Up until they hurt me or someone I care about.
I can't really add anything, everything has already been said. You certainly put life in perspective hun. I have no idea how I would have coped with all you have gone through but I know for certain it would not have been half as admirable as the way you have gone about things.
Your courage, determination and 'making the best of life' attitude shines through your post. You're an inspiration to all - definately write that book :)
I have had a lot of people say that if they were in this situation I am, they would not be able to survive or to even live a fulfilling life. But that is just not true. I did what anyone who was too healthy to die too strong to quit would have done. I knew that I was not sick enough to die and that if I was just going to lie around and not do anything with my long life to come, why not try...
MiniNitro, the ONLY person in Lineage to have an excuse to use walker. Poor bastard forgot to feed his dragon...Cheers mate!
LOL that was soo funny when his dragon died and disappeared i though he was gunna cry ^_^
LMAO!! That was so long ago! My entire clan laughed at me, because of it! Never let it down either... that little son of a ****** ran away with 8 million Adena in gear on him! Three years later and still people are laughing at me for it. That and the other time I got **** and forgot that my microphone was still on. So my entire clan heard my girlfriend, making me happy all over Ventrilo! That one will never die!! LOL.
That and the other time I got **** and forgot that my microphone was still on. So my entire clan heard my girlfriend, making me happy all over Ventrilo! That one will never die!! LOL.
I totally and wholeheartedly agree that your story is more than worthy of a Community Spotlight story. (Sorry it took me this long to read through the thread--I was away at PAX. :)) MiniNitro, I've sent you a PM asking your permission to feature you. Thank you for sharing your amazing and touching story with us. :)
Nice post Mini
We used to party in FG back when there was alot of pvp there ^^
I liked your post and Congratulate you on the presentation bro. Eta on book ?
for you :) "Unity in diversity"
Have you got a website ? If not why!
p.s C u in arena ;)
I started to read this thread right before leaving from work, i simply couldn't get up and go, i was entranced.
I'm deeply moved by you're story.
You are an inspiration honestly and i hope your courage and determination infront of adversity is an inspiration for many. (from what you said it is already the case).
When you publish your bio, let us know, i want a copy.
I can't help but think how lazy i am sometimes, and how truly ungratefull i am for some things.. people like you make me want to achive more.
Good luck m8, in all your endeavours.
Ok, srsly mini, you think CC couldnt have killed the gates on their own? Or maybe you think you stood a better chance against the synergy zerg that came later to reclaim the castle? Fact is that with the force I saw from synergy the outcome of the castle would have been a synergy victory regardless.
PS. naruko when are you coming back? Your friends from FA (who are now mostly in CC btw) miss you. I hope you still have all our email addresses etc send us a hello from iraq.
I totally and wholeheartedly agree that your story is more than worthy of a Community Spotlight story. (Sorry it took me this long to read through the thread--I was away at PAX. :)) MiniNitro, I've sent you a PM asking your permission to feature you. Thank you for sharing your amazing and touching story with us. :)
I would be honored to be a Community Spotlight because I love the game and the players I play with in this game.
after 3 years of playing along with you i never knew... ****, grtz on that big of an accomplishment after all you have been through.
I thought people had told you I was disabled, so I never went around telling. Ha ha. Where have you been?? I haven't seen you in a long time! :( get in touch with me.
Nice post Mini
We used to party in FG back when there was alot of pvp there ^^
I liked your post and Congratulate you on the presentation bro. Eta on book ?
for you :) "Unity in diversity"
Have you got a website ? If not why!
p.s C u in arena ;)
I remember you from those days, that was a very long time ago! :) those days were so amazing back then. Almost 100 people would show up to PVP. And it was evenly match my grades weapons, armor and levels including a 50% Eternal Avatar vs 50% of people who did not like Eternal Avatar. Ha ha. I have a video of the Day that happened. You see me running around in my C grade. I remember killing Hang that day.
As for an ETA on my autobiography. I cannot give you a very accurate estimated time. I can tell you that I have at least 250 pages of my book already done. My estimation of a publishing of the book will be about 2 years. If I work every day on it a lot less.
Ok, srsly mini, you think CC couldnt have killed the gates on their own? Or maybe you think you stood a better chance against the synergy zerg that came later to reclaim the castle? Fact is that with the force I saw from synergy the outcome of the castle would have been a synergy victory regardless.
I do not care if Clearly Clueless could take down the door's and the guards by themselves (I mean seriously, CC brought at least 30 people to take a castle that was unprotected). CC knew that we were going to try and take it. We left town as soon as the siege started. They watched us leave town. We even waited on the bridge before the castle for about three minutes before going to attack the castle to see if CC were going to attack it or kill us on the field. They never showed up. So we continued to attack the castle. We did most of the work with not even a full group. I started to pray and had a few seconds left to pray and the CC guys killed me! I was willing to share the profits , if they would've stayed and helped us, because I had offers from clans who were going to come help us protect the castle already.
Fact is that with the force I saw from synergy the outcome of the castle would have been a synergy victory
I you have to take chances in life (or in this game). If you do not take chances and miss out on a lot of fun, and possibly a happy ending. I have been in many clans/alliances and done a boatload of castle sieges and we have done almost 50% of them outnumbered and came out successful. Those who do not take chances in a game shows a lot of courage. Hehe.
My main concern is not if CC got the castle or Synergy! I am irritated that I was killed after we did all that! As I was praying I said, "hello" and they replied then killed me! When I went back to town I messaged the person who killed me, "Why did you kill me?" He then replied, "we want the castle." Hmmm.... I would've respected it more if they would've killed us after we left town to start running for the castle. We knew we were outnumbered. That is why we were waiting to see if they came for the castle. :o In the entire time of my clan. We have done a lot of castle sieges and whenever we were in the throne room, and they started to pray we would pray to but never kill anyone. I don't know, but in my opinion you just don't do that. It just paints an evil portrait of your clan. Anyway it is over and done with. The siege just proved something to me. Thank you very much for replying.
Here sitting with a good friend (I saw her the post tonight) and, like me, she found your story awesome and very emotional (btw she is not playing L2 :) ). After time we heard music and here what I heard and want to dedicated to you cause this song represents what we felt after reading your story.
MOBY - Slipping Away.
All that we needed was right
The threshold is breaking tonight
Open to everything happy and sad
Seeing the good when it's all going bad
Seeing the sun when I can't really see
Hoping the sun will at least look at me
Focus on everything better today
All that I needed I never could say
Hold on to people, they're slipping away
Hold on to this while it's slipping away
All that we needed tonight
Are people who love us and like
I know how it feels to need
Oh when we leave here, you'll see
Open to everything happy and sad
Seeing the good when it's all going bad
Seeing the sun when I can't really see
Hoping the sun will at least look at me
Focus on everything better today
All that I needed I never could say
Hold on to people, they're slipping away
Hold on to this while it's slipping away
So long
So long
Open to everything happy and sad
Seeing the good when it's all going bad
Seeing the sun when I can't really see
Hoping the sun will at least look at me
Focus on everything better today
All that I needed I never could say
Hold on to people that slipping away
Some of my poetry that I have done over the years. Let me know what you think
"A New Beginning"
By Antonios Tassogloy
A kid at heart
A mind of a child
All the part of being a kid
Took a wrong way in the fork in the road
The road we call life
The road you choose can change a boy to a man
It's too late now this is a one way street
To young for responsibility
To old to give up
You may have fallen
It's not to late to pick yourself up
Time to start your life all over
Time for your new beginning
There is no perfect world
Only new beginnings
You may have fallen
But it's not to late
You can still repair the fallen
Its up to you to decide
Tears that strengthens the heart
Fighting your fear strengthens the mind
You may have the body of a child
But you're a man inside
There is no perfect world
Only new beginnings
You may have fallen
But it's not to late
You can still repair the fallen
Its up to you to decide
Your decision to fight has changed tears
Now they are tears of joy
You’re finally a new stronger person
Not a name on a grave stone
Many years from now
You'll be alive and well
You have changed fate
Thanks to the road of the new beginning
“A Father Left Behind”Antonios Tassogloy
Thou shall not cry for me
I’m not the sad one anymore
A tale of feelings of one big lie
Meet a man not worth to cry
So alone that I can not see
You call yourself a man?
Lies don’t make a man
I stand-alone
A boy but yet more a man
More a man then my old man
I’m always late by my hate for him
You left me behind
A battered sole
Sadness of lies, and hate
You’re no father
You’re just a grieving lost sole
Still remember the smile upon your face
To remember makes me sick
So many years, and to many tears
Why did I even care?
Was it that you made me scared?
Been gone for years on end
Always hoped you were dead
You still may breath
But to me you’ll always be dead
You left me behind
Really glad you did
You caused tears of sadness
Which strengths my mind
You’re no father
But you taught me a lesson, not to be you
I’m stronger now
No matter how life will be
My kids will always have me
I will be a true father, which you’d never be
Wish you could see what you did to me
You made your choice not to be with me
Now lye in your bed you made without thinking of me
So long father, you mean nothing more to me
You left me behind
You missed out, not me
Your grandkids will never know of you
Cause to them I’ll be a father
The father you never stepped up to
“Mirror, Mirror”
By Antonios Tassogloy
Looking in the mirror
What do I see?
I see my fears staring back at me
Living in my mind
Empty but dust and debris
Every time I close my eyes I’m falling
No sleep for me
Mirror, mirror on my wall
Am I god of us all, or satins dog?
Am I live or dead?
These thoughts fill my head
Give me these answers I need to know
Sleep is a minor technicality
To afraid to sleep
Am I asleep or is this reality?
I lye in bed avoiding dreams of being dead
My sanity stains my sheets
Looking for answers
No reason of acts
I’ll tell you my secrets
For one wink of sleep
Mirror, mirror on my wall
Why won’t the voices let me sleep?
From dreams to nightmares
I beg for peace
Mirror, mirror on my wall
No answers to give?
Trapped in darkness
Inside my head
Is this all just one dream?
Can’t take no more
Stuck in my nightmare
With the mirror that shows the hole in my sole
God, please someone wake me
Lost In The Dark
By: Antonios Tassogloy
Feelings of paranoia flowing through my veins
When I hear you say you love me inside my brain
If you knew how I feel
You’d think I’m crazy
It’s not my fault
Never heard I love you except in my head
All my life stabbed by rejection
All because my quest for effection
Scars of pain cut so deep
So deep you can’t see
Been years, and still not healed
Fear of rejection again
Would be a bullet to the head
I hear I love you inside my head
But I just can’t see
Could this be,
Could you really love me?
Mistakes are all I have
Nothing to live for
I’m sad with an impossible dream
I dream to be with you
Every time I close my eyes
I can see you so clear
All my life I’ve just been getting by
I found I need more to survive
I hear I love inside my head
But I just can’t see
Born an outcast
Impossible to be loved
Could this be,
Could you really love me?
I’ve been lost in the dark
With no hope to survive
I need just a meaning in life
Your Love would be my candle
So bright I can find my way
#’s are background choruses:
“I Love You”
1. Getting brighter
“I need you”
2. Even brighter
“I could never love another”
3. Almost bright enough to find my way
“I’ll never lead you astray”
4. Finally, so bright I found my way
“In your arms where you’re here to stay”
“Wheelchair D.U.I.”
By Antonios Tassogloy
Drinking till I’m drunk
Time to hit the streets
Just like the other drunken dead beats
Jump in my ride
No headlight, nor blinkers
Just stickers like “Pimp Mobile,”
And “Fear no Beer”
Driving on the shoulder
With a bear in my cup holder
And an alcohol level five times over
Hoping not to be pulled over
#’s background vocals
Speech is slurred
1. Wheelchair D.U.I.
Vision is blurred
2. Wheelchair D.U.I.
Drinking till I crash and die
3. Wheelchair D.U.I.
I’m just like a Bud, “Why ask Why?”
Weaving in an out of lanes
Who’s the one to blame?
Avoiding consequences with another lie
“But officer, I feel just fine”
One, two, three strikes meant [censored] to me
Till arrested and not set free
Laugh at the judge and except my plea
Once again go through those court doors
I say I’ll never drink and drive again
Who am I kidding, I can’t walk on my own
and there’re too many liquor stores on may way home
Speech is slurred
1. Wheelchair D.U.I.
Vision is blurred
2. Wheelchair D.U.I.
Drinking till I crash and die
3. Wheelchair D.U.I.
I’m just like a Bud, “Why ask Why?”
Here sitting with a good friend (I saw her the post tonight) and, like me, she found your story awesome and very emotional (btw she is not playing L2 :) ). After time we heard music and here what I heard and want to dedicated to you cause this song represents what we felt after reading your story.
Best Regards
Konstantinos
Anastasia
I had never heard of that song before, so I went online to listen to it is a really nice song. Thank you very much for playing it in my honor. :)
And we all thank you for all those you are sharing with us !!
Believe me you are helping people (inc me) to see through the sealing and understand thats there is a sun shining for everyone !
mini I guess you would have preferred we leave you for dead once we saw you praying? It was a seige we were there to get the castle for apocolyptic. In the end it doesnt matter though because neither of our clans got the castle. And next time if you really dont want us to kill you then say something before hand.
Naruko i still dont see how you side with him on this you know how seiges go...
I usually don't post on forums, but this time I had to post an answer since your autobiography really impressed me. I just want to tell you, that I really have a lot of respect for you and all other persons, who stand up and fight like you did and still do. I also hope, that you always will keep focusing on your goals and that your friends and your family always stay with you.
mini I guess you would have preferred we leave you for dead once we saw you praying? It was a seige we were there to get the castle for apocolyptic. In the end it doesnt matter though because neither of our clans got the castle. And next time if you really dont want us to kill you then say something before hand.
Naruko i still dont see how you side with him on this you know how seiges go...
Bill
Bill, I know exactly how sieges work! I have been doing them since they first introduced to the game (mostly a lot longer than you). I do not care who you were trying to take it for! My only concern is what your clan did. I have witnessed two ways of doing it since I have been playing, there is the rude saboteur way or there is the friendly or otherwise ally way. There is a third option that has no precedence, and that is just being there to have fun.
"And next time if you really dont want us to kill you then say something before hand."
That makes no sense. So let me get this straight. Next time after signing up for the siege days before, then showing up to attempt taking the castle, knocking the doors down and killing the guards, and then start praying, I am supposed to say, "please do not kill me, we were kind of thinking of taking the castle"? Does that make any sense to you guys?
I'm going to say this, one last time. In the entire time of playing this game, I have never killed someone who was praying before us. It's not the best way to keep a friendship in this game. As far as I'm concerned this matter is over and done with. I have already learned from what I have witnessed, and I am not going to debate this anymore.
Its a siege Nitro! U took a risk and it failed, end of story. How can Acension be responsible for that, our ally's/clan's dont even have a dialog with eachother.
We wanted the castle for whatever reason and we signed up for it and took it, then syn took it.
Hope ur book will be out soon and we will be able to buy it Europe
I know that it was a risk. I was more than to keep that between my clan, and Clearly Clueless. I was not the one who announced the reenactment on here. I do not care anymore. I will just take one with my clan in the future and just be more wise.
As for my book, I will be sure to release it worldwide. Looks like I will just have too hire lots of translators. I do not care about profit for the book. I just want it to help lots of people. I will spend every last penny I have get this book published.
Here are some pics of my ugly self and me using the computer. Enjoy, but I am not responsable for making you ill steril! Hehe. ALSO, to get the link to work to see the pics, right-click the pic links and choose "Open In New Window"
Ive had a look at the pics and thanks for posting.
Man, I tell you something, I couldn't keep that stick in my mouth like that but boy you must have good eye sight because I have to be right infront of my monitor to see anything :eek:
wow mini your story is truely inspiring and uplifting. It made me cry. I think you have the love and support of gustin after this post. you are truely an amazing person and a wonderful writer. I belive God will bless you tremdously in your life to come as you have surely blessed us with your presence. I pray all of your dreams goals and wishes come true, and only hope for the best.
please let us know when u publish your book. I would LOVE to read it.
Wow, Mini. I feel a little guilty for making you type anything out after seeing those photos. You're really somethin'. :)
Ha ha! No worries at all actually tied extremely fast despite what I have to work with. Plus, when I get lockjaw from typing too much with my mouth. I just turn on Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software where I can actually type over 150 words a minute.
That is actually the first thing that NCSoft definitely needs to adapt for usage in game for the disabled. My speech recognition software can not type in-game. So I have to resort to typing manually while running the game in Windows mode.
I have answered all the questions that Alyra sent me for Community Spotlight. I cannot wait to see the outcome. Thank you very much everyone for spiking an interests in my story. :)
I have answered all the questions that Alyra sent me for Community Spotlight. I cannot wait to see the outcome. Thank you very much everyone for spiking an interests in my story. :)
Now all you have to do is write that book +++++ :)
I really hate when October comes around! For some odd reason my accident and everything that I went through are all I think about and when I close my eyes it is all I see. My accident, nor everything I went through does not bother me in the least. It seems I am only bothered around this month, because I am constantly bombarded with visions and thoughts that I went through and put my family and friends through. I do not sleep too well during this month, either. I think since October 1st, until today I have slept a total of about 16 hours... it always affects me mentally and physically. Not too much emotionally because I have cried over this entire thing far too much in the past.
I will be going through this until November 1st. It seems I reenact the entire month of my accident, consecutively each day. October 22nd, 1992 was the day of my accident. I fell and broke my neck around 6:15 p.m. I remember that time, because I looked at my watch to see what time it was because the sun just began to go down and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be late getting home for curfew. The only good thing about this month, is that I remember just about everything that and what I went through during this month. The reason I say it’s good is because I can write every single detail for my autobiography. I don’t know. I have been going through this for a 15 years this month. I have outlived and out proven my capabilities and straights, and I keep getting better every year that passes. :)
wow, I can't believe I've missed such a gem of a story. I didn't even know about this until the newsletter. I put the news about your story on Stratics main page along with a link to the whole thing and this thread. I salute your preserverence and strength to not only carry on, but to go above and beyond.
You're an amazing person. :) and heck, I'd want you to know that they've even posted your story in for South East Asian L2 players to read, even if they can't come here to comment, they're definetly reading it.
Sorry you have to relive the nightmare every october :(
after about 1h of reading on the community spotlight and all through this thread, i just couldn't do anything else..., i decided to answer finally:
first of all, thank you for sharing with us your experience, feelings, emotions, i'm totally speechless and i wanted to say so much...i'm impressed you're a exemple of courage, will and perseverance for all of us.
second, i wish you all the best, because you really deserve it
third, you make me crying, and laughing (especially the story about your girlfriend ;) ) all in one, you're a really great guy :)
fourth, i'm french, studying english, if you need help for translating your bio i'll be glad to help you :)
Well, what can I say that hasn't already been well-said in a hundred different ways. Amazing, amazing, powerful story. Thank you for sharing your story with us. To say it's both moving and inspirational is an understatement.
I'm brand-new to Gustin (though not to L2), and don't really give any thought to whether I made the "right choice" in choosing this over any of the other servers. I figure I'm starting from square one and everyone's a stranger, at first, regardless. I'd just make make the most of it no matter where I ended up. However, I'm now certain I made the right choice. It's great to know I'll be sharing the same "space" as such an inspirational, positive and remarkable person as yourself.
Glad to see people liked my story and interview, but a few people had a problem with it. I've been told I'm only looking for "sympathy," "liar," "useless cripple," my story is "crap" (a "5-year-old" could do better), or I'm a [censored] "cheater," (because I can multi-box over three chars, can kill mobs fast, PVP, etc all with a mouthstick, when they can hardly do it with 2 hands!) etc. It's been quite amusing. Haha. :) Oh well. You can't affect everyone positivly.
Don't worry nitro, they are only saying those things because they are the ones who are crippled. They limit themselves in what they can do by thinking it's not possible and therefore lass out at those who prove them wrong.
The rest of us think you're an awesome person and hope you continue to defy the odds and laugh in the face of adversity.
Glad to see people liked my story and interview, but a few people had a problem with it. I've been told I'm only looking for "sympathy," "liar," "useless cripple," my story is "crap" (a "5-year-old" could do better), or I'm a [censored] "cheater," (because I can multi-box over three chars, can kill mobs fast, PVP, etc all with a mouthstick, when they can hardly do it with 2 hands!) etc. It's been quite amusing. Haha. :) Oh well. You can't affect everyone positivly.
In their feeble, ignorant little minds, it probably makes 'em feel "cool".
i'm from NJ too Nitro :) Well northern NJ, bergen county to be exact.
just wanted to say god bless you for having the motivation and the courage to do what you have done so far. only if everyone would have the same attitude as you about life, this world would be a better place.
many kudos, love, and respect for you mate. you are mos def an epitome of inspiration and hope. :)
"MiniNitro" is aptly named.
Truely an inspiration. I've seen you lots of times and you seemed just like any other L2 player. Clearly, you are much more. All the best to you.
I finished the book on Monday June 22nd. Now the difficult part is finding a publisher and raising money to publish it. I think it came out very well. I never knew talking about yourself and your life would be so difficult! It also doesn't help when I am a perfectionist, and everything I write, I'm not happy with. Ha ha... the book Is called, a New Beginning and it is dedicated to my mother, family and friends (a lot of you). There is even a chapter involving my experiences in game. I cannot wait for all of you to read it!
Dude, great story, +++ respect, it really takes a tough person to overcome all that, and the fact you have tought so many other ppl and inspired them is sumtin very few in the world can do. dont ever give up on the walking thing. im sure u can do it. and this really should be on the L2 main site. ill look forward to seeing u in game bud ^^
wow! That IS the best post ever on the boards! MiniNitro Thank You so much for sharing you life story with us. God bless you for your courage and in game you are HERO without the Glowy!!!
wow *wipes a tear while *passing BEER to MiniNitro
but guys... remember, mininitro want us see him as a normal player and he do it very fine with his special keyboard.
mininitro teached me use the siege golem and the siege
canon one time in rune siege, i was very glad of have a teacher like him . he is really a good Maestro and omg his sub is hilarious doing double shot...
ok got it: Normal player behind the keyboard Dwarfy kin in game!
*passes BEER to Dwarfy kin
I dont really know what to say that hasnt already been said...but this touched me. I had heard about you a little...mainly just that you were paralized and I was already impressed knowing that you didnt let it get in the way of playing a game. That is nothing compared to what you have done in life. You have done more than most if not all the people playing this game. You have impacted so many lives and that is simply amazing.
"Disabled" really? I dont see it.
I have some quotes here by a man that I greatly respect and I wanted to share them cause every one of these reminded me of you and what you have done....
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
You reach a point where you don't work for money.
I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.
It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.
All of these came from the great Walt Disney. He was a man had nothing and made something of it. You have in a way done this as well. You have seen the lows...and you rose about them. Mad props. Honestly.
Thanks for sharing your story. It really meant a lot.
Wow.
O.o i'm not even sure what else to say. That's an amazing story. Keep reaching for your goals! Doctors lie ;) I wasn't supposed to live past day 1 and i'm still around years later hehe. Silly doctors they need a nice dosage of faith in miracles! :)
Would love to know when your book is published! Much respect...couldn't see the pics :( link broken [might just be my comp :p] ...but really, great story so inspiring!
I used to work for a retired police officer who was quadropolegic due to being shot on duty at the Orlando court house in 1985, he also used a mouth stick to play all sorts of games - mostly Diablo 2, I could never get him on Lineage 2 though.
As awesome as it is that you play games I hope you're keeping up with the exercises you're supposed to do daily, and moving a lot to prevent bed sores - because as cool as it was for Mark Parker to play video games I believe his lack of motivation led to his downfall this year when he passed away.
Hey mini i remember some years ago we were in a clan "Malevolence" together sounds like your still the same strong will player who was determined to kick . Great to see your owning it up. I remember you saying you played a dwarf because they are simple, well there is nothing simple about you. You are as humble as they come.
In my 10 years of playing MMO's I have never known anyone who has conqured such adversity and be able to play games like this. My one question which I hope doesnt come off as baggy is how long did it take for you to type all of that dont you get tired? :/
Alot's been said so I'd just like to leave a short message to your family and friends. I have much admiration and respect for those closest to you realizing that you draw alot of strength and comfort to overcome your challenges and to reach your goals from these ones. I've known people my whole life and only just read about you now, but your spirit of motivation and courage transcends these forums and really touches people in a way that most cannot.
I usually don't but since someone brought up stem cell research I suppose I can leave you with a few controversial scriptures that I think apply:
Isaiah 35:5 & 6
Revelation 21: 3 & 4
LOL, I apologize to everyone over the years who have been listening to my stupid parents that constantly squawk and squeak on voice communication.
Dude, great story, +++ respect, it really takes a tough person to overcome all that, and the fact you have tought so many other ppl
and inspired them is sumtin very few in the world can do. dont ever give up on the walking thing. im sure u can do it. and this really should be on the L2
main site. ill look forward to seeing u in game bud ^^
thank you very much for the boost of confidence. I have always believed that if you put your mind and heart towards something important you will always
prevail. There is an interview that they did under community spotlight about me and everything. It is a very nice interview.
wow! That IS the best post ever on the boards! MiniNitro Thank You so much for sharing you life story with us. God bless you for your
courage and in game you are HERO without the Glowy!!!
wow *wipes a tear while *passing BEER to MiniNitro
my pleasure to share my life with you all. Thank you all for supporting. I am already having my third beer. LOL. I always want to become a hero in game with
the glow, but it's impossible. Ha ha. But it's very nice that you called me a hero.
Ahh Mini, I miss yelling at you in vent! I hope all is well and you haven't lost any more dragons lately...
LOL, my old clan leader. I really miss you yelling at me too! Everyone enjoyed having me around, because I was only great for a laugh!
Oh my God! I totally forgot about that hatchling... okay, I had a hatchling and I had just bought about 5 million gear for it. It was all new to me. So I did
not know you had to feed it. So in a matter of 10 minutes that hatchling ran away with all the gear... LOL . Of course, my entire clan laughed at me for
years about that... ha ha
I dont really know what to say that hasnt already been said...but this touched me. I had heard about you a little...mainly just that
you were paralized and I was already impressed knowing that you didnt let it get in the way of playing a game. That is nothing compared to what you have done
in life. You have done more than most if not all the people playing this game. You have impacted so many lives and that is simply amazing.
"Disabled" really? I dont see it.
I have some quotes here by a man that I greatly respect and I wanted to share them cause every one of these reminded me of you and what you have done....
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
You reach a point where you don't work for money.
I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.
It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth
may be the best thing in the world for you.
I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.
All of these came from the great Walt Disney. He was a man had nothing and made something of it. You have in a way done this as well. You have seen the
lows...and you rose about them. Mad props. Honestly.
Thanks for sharing your story. It really meant a lot.
thank you very much. I have a few quotes that I would like to share with you all that I came up withover the years. They helped me get through a lot. Feel
free to use them.
1. Everyone has disabilities. It's just that mine are more visible than yours.
2. A person is classified as disabled as soon as they admit they cannot do something.
3. Life is beautiful, only if you allow it to be.
Tony,
I'm going to message you in game today - I'm very interested in hearing more about you. I look forward to it :)
it is much easier for me if you all message me on here. It's a lot easier to respond on here, because Lineage is not compatible with some of my equipment. I
really wish that NCSoft would use some of my ideas to make this game more user-friendly for the disabled.
Inspiring. I posted a link to your story on Twitter, I just had to share it with my gaming friends!
what exactly is twitter?
I used to work for a retired police officer who was quadropolegic due to being shot on duty at the Orlando court house in 1985, he also
used a mouth stick to play all sorts of games - mostly Diablo 2, I could never get him on Lineage 2 though.
As awesome as it is that you play games I hope you're keeping up with the exercises you're supposed to do daily, and moving a lot to prevent bed sores -
because as cool as it was for Mark Parker to play video games I believe his lack of motivation led to his downfall this year when he passed away.
Please take care of yourself, in and out of game.
I do exercises quite a bit throughout the week. For some odd reason, I still have use of all of my muscles throughout my body to move, to breathe and feel on
my own. This is a gift. So there is no way that I would ever let it go to waste.
Hey mini i remember some years ago we were in a clan "Malevolence" together sounds Like your still the same strong will player who
was determined to kick . Great to see your owning it up. I remember you saying you played a dwarf because they are simple, well there is nothing simple about
you. You are as humble as they come.
malevolence.... I really miss that clan! I made so many friends in there. Between Camelot and malevolence those are my two favorite clans. I have ever had.
..
In my 10 years of playing MMO's I have never known anyone who has conqured such adversity and be able to play games Like this. My one
question which I hope doesnt come off as baggy is how long did it take for you to type all of that dont you get tired? :/
Auto /rec any time i see you in game
yes, it took me a little while to type it. But I am very fast by mouth. I can run up to five of my clients and keep up with someone who has two working hands. I have a very talented and strong mouth. Like I have said. I guess that's why women love dating me? LOL other than using the mouse stick, I use voice-activated typing software for when I get tired. It's a little less accurate than typing by mouth, but it is a lot faster. When I need to type very long papers or messages it is a savior!
Alot's been said so I'd just like to leave a short message to your family and friends. I have much admiration and respect for those
closest to you realizing that you draw alot of strength and comfort to overcome your challenges and to reach your goals from these ones. I've known people my
whole life and only just read about you now, but your spirit of motivation and courage transcends these forums and really touches people in a way that most
cannot.
I usually don't but since someone brought up stem cell research I suppose I can leave you with a few controversial scriptures that I think apply:
Isaiah 35:5 & 6
Revelation 21: 3 & 4
Yes, I believe strongly in stem cell research. There are trials for the cure for paralysis that will be starting in the next couple months. I have already
been asked to be one of the first on the East Coast of the United States to receive the cure trial.
I do not think that Collingswood cops like me very much. I remember a story back when I was 21 years old. My friends and I used to walk up to the local bar near my house. No more than half a mile. We would go up there and get a really good buzz going and then walked back to my house around the early morning. We started heading home around 2:30 AM.
In my local area the sidewalks are not all handicap accessible. So I found it's easier to drive on the side of the road on the back streets. The back streets around here are pretty much dead. So it's pretty safe. It was my best friends Brian and Mike and about 10 of our other friends were walking home. Brian was walking along the left side of me. I never really figured out why he always decided to do that, until that night. He told me that if I was going to get hit by a car. He wanted to die along with me. I thought that it was a very sweet idea. But in reality, he was afraid if I were to get killed, while he was there. He thought that it would be more painful getting tortured to death by my mother. Ha ha.
We were two blocks from my house. All of a sudden I see flashing red and blue lights and a man talking over a loudspeaker saying, "everyone get on the sidewalk". Mind you, we were all intoxicated beyond belief, and a few of us had even smoked pot a few minutes before the cops showed up. We all got onto the sidewalk and the police officer started asking us questions. Most of them were mandatory questions such as "have you been drinking." We explained to him that we have just left the bar to go home. This police officer was such an ! When I am intoxicated I become hilarious and extremely happy. So I have been told. But the bad side to my intoxication, is that I lack the ability to think before I speak. Hence why I become extremely funny. The officer was obviously trying to make an example of us. Especially since one of them is in a wheelchair. He began administering sobriety test to all of my friends.
I remember watching them and thinking to myself that this is completely ridiculous! My best friend Brian, out of nowhere said, "this is completely ing ******ed!" The police officer replied, "pardon me sir?!" Brian then replied, "we are walking! Tony is the only one driving a motor vehicle!" Ha ha. After that I was beginning to get extremely irritated because it started to rain extremely hard. Not to mention I was losing my patience, and he was ruining my buzz. I was muttering under my breath, stuff like "is your hat naturally fitting for a head shaped like a ," "you are an " and "trying to fill in your end of the month ticket quota." We could all tell that he was getting extremely angry about my comments and lack of cooperation. He threatened to take me to jail. I did not care. I continued doing so. Brian kept punching me in the arm and covering my mouth. Until the point he whispered in my ear. "Shut the up! I am drunk and high I do not want to go to jail tonight!" I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "he's not going to be able to take me to jail unless he has a paddy wagon with a wheelchair lift!"
I finally looked at the officer and said to him, "I am two blocks from my house. It is pouring outside and I don't know if you have noticed that I have a lot of vital equipmentthat that is all electrical!" Brian agreed with me and pleaded with the officer to let us go. He apologized for the way I was acting on account of I am late for my medications. Ha ha. The officer finally, let us go, but not before writing each of us. $180 ticket for public intoxication.
We walked the rest of the way to my house. Everyone except for Brian went home. I got put into bed with the help of Brian, and one of my nurses. We were all soaking wet. I don't remember too much after I hit the mattress, because I was so intoxicated. Brian went into the room next to mine. The room had an extra bed because my friends like to hang out late sometimes. So they just crash at my house. He was so intoxicated that he actually curled up on the floor in the fetal position. Right next to the bed. He fell asleep wearing the saturated clothing and was shivering. My nurse came out in the middle of the night to check up on me and noticed that Brian was soaked and freezing. She lifted him up and sat his buttocks on the bed told him to lift his arms up to take his shirt off, and she took off his pants. She then put on a dry T-shirt and shorts of mine. Then he lied down on the mattress and then she covered him up with a blanket and he went to sleep. The next morning he woke up not knowing how he got home and into bed. What surprised him even more was that he noticed he was wearing my clothes. He shot out of bed, ran into my room and woke me up. Confused and startled, he asked me, "what happened last night, and how did I end up in bed with your clothes on??" I could not resist! I looked him in the eye with an upset expression on my face and I said to him, "but you told me you loved me last night! You even thanked me for an unforgettable night!" His mouth dropped open, and he yelled at me, "you better stop messing with me!" I told him I had no idea about last night, nor how he got into my clothes. I asked him if he was at least wearing his own underwear? When he looked I saw him breathe a sigh of relief that he still was still wearing his own underwear.
All day long, he tried to remember what happened. He asked my mom and she had no idea. He was even beginning to get extremely nervous. The same nurse that was on the night before, came in the next night and told him what happened. He asked her if she saw any of his hidden goodies. LOL1
LOL!!!!! i cant stop laughing about that! LOL! just feel lucky you werent molested by the cop! im right up the pike from you and man ill tell ya, the cops in this town and surronding area dont have anything better to do. so one night me and my friend smoked a fat blunt just relaxin and decided to stroll through town at 3am. mind you we were just high as kites just walkin gigglin all that good stuff. we wandered onto a park that apparently has a curfew and out of nowhere, same red and blue flashing lights, in this case the cop had his gun drawn LOL! he man-handled me and my friend up against his SUV yes SUV what a better way to spend tax payers money by buying the police force some SUV's(where there is nothing but paved roads)! so while he was "searching" us, he decided to feel on my junk, repeatedly, when i say repeatedly i mean it LOL asking "who has the narcotics" and whispering in my ear "are you gay?" i was high and said "we done smoked it sir and are you sure you arent gay?". so when we get to the station he handcuffs us to the bench, had nothing on us except "Trespassing",he got all our info but before he let us go he said "um im gonna have to search you one more time" and he repeated the fondling process, so you are lucky! :P
That is really funny! I am sure that he would've molested me. Mainly because people love sex where you can't fight back! LOL I think that he might have touched but I was far too intoxicated and stoned to remember too much.
I do not think that Collingswood cops like me very much. I remember a story back when I was 21 years old. My friends and I used to walk up to the local bar near my house. No more than half a mile. We would go up there and get a really good buzz going and then walked back to my house around the early morning. We started heading home around 2:30 AM.
In my local area the sidewalks are not all handicap accessible. So I found it's easier to drive on the side of the road on the back streets. The back streets around here are pretty much dead. So it's pretty safe. It was my best friends Brian and Mike and about 10 of our other friends were walking home. Brian was walking along the left side of me. I never really figured out why he always decided to do that, until that night. He told me that if I was going to get hit by a car. He wanted to die along with me. I thought that it was a very sweet idea. But in reality, he was afraid if I were to get killed, while he was there. He thought that it would be more painful getting tortured to death by my mother. Ha ha.
We were two blocks from my house. All of a sudden I see flashing red and blue lights and a man talking over a loudspeaker saying, "everyone get on the sidewalk". Mind you, we were all intoxicated beyond belief, and a few of us had even smoked pot a few minutes before the cops showed up. We all got onto the sidewalk and the police officer started asking us questions. Most of them were mandatory questions such as "have you been drinking." We explained to him that we have just left the bar to go home. This police officer was such an ! When I am intoxicated I become hilarious and extremely happy. So I have been told. But the bad side to my intoxication, is that I lack the ability to think before I speak. Hence why I become extremely funny. The officer was obviously trying to make an example of us. Especially since one of them is in a wheelchair. He began administering sobriety test to all of my friends.
I remember watching them and thinking to myself that this is completely ridiculous! My best friend Brian, out of nowhere said, "this is completely ing ******ed!" The police officer replied, "pardon me sir?!" Brian then replied, "we are walking! Tony is the only one driving a motor vehicle!" Ha ha. After that I was beginning to get extremely irritated because it started to rain extremely hard. Not to mention I was losing my patience, and he was ruining my buzz. I was muttering under my breath, stuff like "is your hat naturally fitting for a head shaped like a ," "you are an " and "trying to fill in your end of the month ticket quota." We could all tell that he was getting extremely angry about my comments and lack of cooperation. He threatened to take me to jail. I did not care. I continued doing so. Brian kept punching me in the arm and covering my mouth. Until the point he whispered in my ear. "Shut the up! I am drunk and high I do not want to go to jail tonight!" I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "he's not going to be able to take me to jail unless he has a paddy wagon with a wheelchair lift!"
I finally looked at the officer and said to him, "I am two blocks from my house. It is pouring outside and I don't know if you have noticed that I have a lot of vital equipmentthat that is all electrical!" Brian agreed with me and pleaded with the officer to let us go. He apologized for the way I was acting on account of I am late for my medications. Ha ha. The officer finally, let us go, but not before writing each of us. $180 ticket for public intoxication.
We walked the rest of the way to my house. Everyone except for Brian went home. I got put into bed with the help of Brian, and one of my nurses. We were all soaking wet. I don't remember too much after I hit the mattress, because I was so intoxicated. Brian went into the room next to mine. The room had an extra bed because my friends like to hang out late sometimes. So they just crash at my house. He was so intoxicated that he actually curled up on the floor in the fetal position. Right next to the bed. He fell asleep wearing the saturated clothing and was shivering. My nurse came out in the middle of the night to check up on me and noticed that Brian was soaked and freezing. She lifted him up and sat his buttocks on the bed told him to lift his arms up to take his shirt off, and she took off his pants. She then put on a dry T-shirt and shorts of mine. Then he lied down on the mattress and then she covered him up with a blanket and he went to sleep. The next morning he woke up not knowing how he got home and into bed. What surprised him even more was that he noticed he was wearing my clothes. He shot out of bed, ran into my room and woke me up. Confused and startled, he asked me, "what happened last night, and how did I end up in bed with your clothes on??" I could not resist! I looked him in the eye with an upset expression on my face and I said to him, "but you told me you loved me last night! You even thanked me for an unforgettable night!" His mouth dropped open, and he yelled at me, "you better stop messing with me!" I told him I had no idea about last night, nor how he got into my clothes. I asked him if he was at least wearing his own underwear? When he looked I saw him breathe a sigh of relief that he still was still wearing his own underwear.
All day long, he tried to remember what happened. He asked my mom and she had no idea. He was even beginning to get extremely nervous. The same nurse that was on the night before, came in the next night and told him what happened. He asked her if she saw any of his hidden goodies. LOL1
i dont understand not speak english >.<
SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM
Just to add to the other voices in this thread that I too have a lot of respect for this guy. I don't know him in game but I find it amazing he can play it so well, especially considering the L2 client has a God-awful UI and interface by ANYONE's standards and is totally not built with any accessibility in mind.
Just to add to the other voices in this thread that I too have a lot of respect for this guy. I don't know him in game but I find it amazing he can play it so well, especially considering the L2 client has a God-awful UI and interface by ANYONE's standards and is totally not built with any accessibility in mind.
thank you very much. Most people cannot picture me being able to play this game completely by mouth yet alone multiple characters. I know that I am a very unique person. Everyone of us has strengths and disabilities. We just need to figure out which is which. Once you find out what your strengths and weaknesses are you must learn to strengthen them or correct them. I did not learn to play this game as well as I have overnight. It took me a very long time testing techniques and equipment, plus I also had to design my own technology without it being against game rules. I believe that I am one of the only people in this game that can actually play this game entirely by mouth. It would be really great if NCSoft would incorporate a few of my ideas to make it easier for the disabled to play. Who knows, maybe in the future they will ask me.
I submitted the manuscript to a company that will revise it and they will let me know if it needs anything added to it in order to keep the reader interested from beginning to end. I am still waiting for a publisher to purchase it and begin mass producing it. I will keep everyone posted. :-)
Anybody have a story of life. Some of then that could become a book :) I had one history, but far way from urs. I loose my foot in a shark attack when i was surffing. I was 15 years old. I started write something for a book, but not inspired to wirte more. Who know, maybe one day i will do it :)
The game its a graet opportunity for everybody, specialy who have phisical disabilities. U are the same as the others in game .
Write books or not ... people who do daring things are courageous people and have more to offer the world than most other people!
You guys are cool; at least you dared to risk! :D
This is a timeless story that someone could tell 75 years from now and it would still give inspiration to someone.
Best of luck with your book and everyone in this game that plays around you is a better person after reading a small chapter in your life so far. Peace be with you mate
Thanks bud! That REALLY meant a lot to me! :) If anyone ever wants to party & get to know me then please PM me. You can never have too many friend's (especially in this game because soloing sucks). Plus you can see how amazing I am 4-6 boxing all by mouth. LOL NCsoft adding Macros is the only thing friendly to the disabled. I wish NCsoft would implament/publish my ideas to make it a lot to even a little user friendly for people with disabilities. It would bring in a lot more customers. I refered this game to friend's who have ten times less disability than me, but they quit because "it's too hard" for them to keep up and access.