Episodes

For being who I am Won’t Be Ashamed For Being Who I am Won’t Be Ashamed For Being Who I Am Adventures in Disability Shaming In this episode, my son tells me that he wants a new dad, one that isn’t disabled, who doesn’t use a wheelchair or a cane, and who is able to cross the stream by balancing on a fallen eucalyptus tree. I think it may be more-or-less normal for a kid to wish they had different parents, but it felt especially heavy that my kid was trying to hurt my feelings for having multi...

Facial lightning returned sometimes Time change was rough after 1 year of covid lockdown Giant glass chandelier arrived Outdoor furniture came Heating system repair right now Sleep apnea machine is imminent Mostly no one listens to this

I moved to San Leandro. Season 5 has begun. I’m unpacking slowly and starting to plug in to the community.

Interview Thoughtline Interview In this episode of the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, we’re presenting an interview with newly-elected San Mateo School District Board Member Ligia Andrade Zuñiga, who is a disabled wheelchair user. I interviewed her because I thought it was remarkable for a disabled woman to win an election. It originally aired Monday, December 28th from 6-7PM.on KFJC 89.7FM on the Thoughtline public affairs program. This material was developed to bring under-represented vo...

Interview someone and learn about them In The Habit We’re nearing the end of four seasons on the podcast. Like I said last time, I’m thinking of changing or stopping it. For now, I’m still in the habit. I recorded an interview with the activist Ligia Andrade Zuniga that I hope to air on KFJC. Reflecting on the mental health epidemic that accompanies the coronavirus epidemic, the podcast takes an unexpected turn. It comes back on track at the end, courtesy of the words of Marc Maron. Cya nex...

Lots of boxes I’m thinking about changing this. Did I accomplish what I came for? I started this podcast with a determination to try and understand who I was as a disabled person, to grow my disability consciousness. Now that I am on the cusp of relocation, I wonder, did I accomplish what I came for? Let me know what you think via the Contact form. This episode quotes from the first episode of What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, “Trying.”

I’m going to a new place Things are changing, from my home bookstore to the restaurants I’ll eat at. I feel positive about it, but I’m having anxiety in the face of so much change. I think what I mean by “home bookstore” is the bookstore where I’ll go most often, every week or so.

Have you heard the news? Updates to a few recent episodes. Recorded in the backyard New Support Good And Bad

moving to san leandro After two of my friends message me I realize that with my move to San Leandro, my support group will evolve. Which I manage not to mention in the episode, is totally scary! I recorded most of the episode in the backyard, mostly off-the-cuff. The audio track features airplanes and windchimes. STAY TUNED for extended shout-outs.

We son some awards. Bad news first: the kids are bad, they run away. Hoppin Hot Sauce won some awards. This week’s episode takes place in a cable car.

Both Get The Whole Story: Please check the Microvascular Decompression tag page to hear all the updates about my MVD surgery. What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast SETTING: Shopping Mall, Spooky Castle, “Run In The Wild” by Hot Mops. The BAD: Trigeminal Neuralgia came back. The GOOD: Halloween is coming. BEGIN TRANSCRIPT JOHN HOPPIN: What’s the Matter With Me? What’s up? You are tuned into the What’s the Matter With Me? Podcast. It’s the real deal. This is it. I’m inside. I’m in the house. T...

I got my computer back from the shop, and I’m back up and running again Shout-outs to Etan Rechra I made some production work for KFJC, featuring my buddy Jack Tar JOHN HOPPIN: All right, what’s up? Thank you for tuning in to What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. Let me find my notes. It’s good when you have notes. When you make a podcast, you want to put together some notes ahead of the time. Or not, I guess. To each his own, or her own. I think that’s what qualifies as a meandering introduct...

Thank you for tuning in to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. It’s kind of loud outside today, so I put myself in an auto body shop Cedar Room reordered Hoppin Hot Sauce KFJC Fundraiser is happening now My telemedecine appointment was a big relief I bought some music from Sahel Sounds’ bandcamp page JOHN HOPPIN: Thank you for tuning in to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. My name is John, I’m 41 years old, husband and father of two. Small business owner, radio DJ, podcaster. And...

Tuesday Appointment KFJC fundraiser begins today My kids are with my mom and my stepdad Dave Yesterday I sent some hot sauce to a new local account I’m going to have a video meeting with my neurologist on Tuesday JOHN HOPPIN: Yes. Thank you for tuning into the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. My name is John. I’m 41 years old, a husband, father of two, small business owner, radio DJ, podcaster, and I have multiple sclerosis, so I made this podcast to share what I’m going through. You pr...

The annual fundraiser is coming up at KFJC starting at the end of the month. I’ve been recording fundraiser spots for about 6 years. my first one was about a person taking a taxi. I do one or two a year. I always enjoy writing, and every good spot starts with the script. This year, I wrote four, and I read them in this episode, along with an older one from 2016 that resonated with me. Writing these scripts has been a positive creative outlet. BEGIN TRANSCRIPT You are tuned into the What’s ...

Get The Whole Story: Please check the Microvascular Decompression tag page to hear all the updates about my MVD surgery. I saw the surgeon who performed my microvascular decompression surgery. I went to my Ukrainian dentist a couple of weeks ago, she is the one I called, “The Iron Curtain.” I am not in trigeminal neuralgia pain anymore , and my life has changed for the better. Now that I can shave my face, I’ve been wearing a mustache. I am a lot happier.

Still under lockdown. Touching base with the podcast, stirring the pot. John John broke the power button on my computer so it’s at the tech support In a week it will be six months of the coronavirus shutdown Shout out to Brian and Katie Mom’s birthday today. Oysters and cake 4th week of school Backgammon The comic garage 10 comics a month 21.99 Spanish posters, letters, numbers, colors, feelings Maps of the world English motivational kindness posters about being a buddy not a bully BE...

Disabled voices are just like regular voices, just like anybody. Using our voice makes it stronger, and it’s doubly true for disabled people who’ve been disenfranchised, and hidden away, and censored. Begin Transcript JOHN HOPPIN: What these people said really impacted me and really moved me, so I wanted to talk about this. Welcome. Thank you for tuning in. Welcome to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. My name is John. I’m 41 years old, husband, father of two, small business owner, radi...

Compounded trauma is when things make us upset, because they remind us of traumatic situations that we’ve experienced before, causing us to relive them. When I feel this way, naming the feelings I am having, and explicitly connecting them, can be a way to overcome them. The thing is, my wife likes creepy stuff. I don’t like watching surgery. When the scalpels come out, I check out of the movie. Thank you for tuning in to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. This episode is about compounded...

We all need to put in effort to get ourselves out there, because it can be hard on your mental health to be so isolated. It’s important to be part of a community, and be involved, and have exchange with people. I’ve been spending a lot of my creative effort trying to keep my business open. Crippled crisp review is two disabled Dutch comedians eating potato chips together. I have begun producing radio shows in my home Studio. The first one will air Thursday. People are experiencing part of wh...

Day 67 COVID-19 self isolation I’m working in the garden, while wearing my new AFO brace in this episode of the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast.

Two months into coronavirus self-isolation, I’m thinking about how this is an important time, one that we’ll remember forever and that our kids will also remember. In this episode of the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, I’m thinking about the importance of this time.

Welcome back to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. Day 42 of Covid-19 Coronavirus quarantine finds me thinking about the value of disabled life. What is the Principle of Non discrimination? The principle of non-discrimination seeks “to guarantee that human rights are exercised without discrimination of any kind based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status such as disability, age, marital and family ...

Day 23 of self-isolation I’m going to try practicing some acceptance to get through this terrible experience of confinement, which is worse than usual. Begin Transcript JOHN HOPPIN: You are listening to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. My name is John. I’m 40 years old, husband, father of two, small business owner, radio DJ, podcaster, and I have multiple sclerosis. So I made this podcast to share what I’m going through. Let’s see. Last episode, recap: I was just rambling about stress...