The online part of the explanation
Since the start of this week, we’ve gotten new financial backers, which will allow me to keep this blog up and running for at least another year. And we finally got to hear from Automattic about the reasons why there weren’t any ads showing up recently anymore. We’ve now been added to their “brand safety allow list”. And as some friends have already noted, the ads are again showing.
However, this doesn’t change the fact that 1 of the reasons why ads weren’t showing has to do with the recent translations done by my sons. One of the translations has already been deleted and moved over to their newly released blog. But if we keep these translations here, it’s undeniable that we will scare off potential advertisers, regardless of us not being an unsafe blog in any sort of way.
The main reason is quite obviously the ongoing situation in the country where I was born. As well as my post about the police. However, I won’t be deleting the post as I stand by what I have said in it.
It’s quite sad that it has to come to this, but when looking at it, I can only say that I have no other choice than to no longer release any subtitled content on this blog. However, I will go even further than that, and in the coming days, I will be removing every subtitled video that ever was published on this blog, except those crucial to certain shares I’ve made.
That being said, it doesn’t mean I will just abandon and delete all those videos. As those following me on Twitter and those who have befriended me on Facebook already know, there has been a new blog launched under the name “Calmth Music“. This blog isn’t by me, but by my children. It was an idea by Anton, my second eldest son, which together with my eldest son Vladislav and his girlfriend Zofia has been worked out into a proper working blog. They have my full support, including by now owning every subtitled video that I ever have done. They can share it there after I deleted it here. If they will, it’s up to them.
I’ve given them all parts to make them succeed, including a license key to this theme I’ve been using for a long time already. However, also the webmaster I’ve long been working together with, who’s eventually one of the godfathers of my children. I believe in their ability to do a lot of good on their blog, so I sincerely wish them luck. And if you liked the subtitled content here, I really would advise checking out Calmth Music.
This all being said, it doesn’t mean all of the reasons are strictly online. A part of what is going on has been shared before already in the post in which I announced quitting blogging. And let me be clear, apart from the ads, not much has changed. It’s just that with ads returning and the subtitling part being gone, I could finally do some things I have wanted to do here, including fully focusing on writing about psychological subjects. This is where we go into the situation of my personal life.
The offline part of the explanation
As I’ve only shared here online with my friend Tetyana until now, I have started a new job since the start of this week. I don’t think I would surprise anyone by saying that it is with special needs children. The work mixes a combination of pedagogy and social work and is with children that didn’t make it in either the regular or special education systems.
A lot of people are still not aware of this fact, but the education system for children with special needs is severely flawed in most instances internationally. A lot of special needs schools are not focused on specific conditions, but are catch-all, meaning that you could have someone with ADHD, down syndrome, and autism in the same classroom. And it’s no secret that this won’t work out in most cases. Yes, you hear me right, in most cases. Even with these conditions, it’s possible to go both ways, which is highly dependent on the children, not on the teacher.
Sadly, projects focusing on giving those forgotten children the education they deserve remain highly uncommon. And in some countries, they are (nearly) impossible to be there regardless. For example, in the Netherlands, this can be hard due to their laws stating children between 5 and 18 are mandatory to “attend school”. In their country, it’s not allowed to homeschool in almost every instance, and neither are projects like the one I’m now working for allowed there. It’s really sad, as it closes doors for at-risk children and children with special needs. This while they already have it so hard in our societies, often times becoming even worse as they become older.
The worst part is that for most of these children, their problems often don’t end at school. Special needs children are very often at-risk children as well. When they get home, they are often subject to maltreatment. That is if they go home at all, as it’s incredibly common for special needs children to be placed in alternative care. And this is all because there’s no attention in our society’s regular system. We live in a 1-size-fits-all society. Which doesn’t work for people, just like it actually doesn’t for clothes…
Having been offered the opportunity to be there for these children, means a lot to me. And I wouldn’t be true to myself if I didn’t fully dedicate myself to this. Which is something that is fully supported by my family. But also means that I won’t be able to afford the time to subtitle content. My family always comes first. After that comes work. And after that comes writing, as it’s something that I do still enjoy, a lot more than subtitling. As while subtitling in itself takes little time, finding content and licensing does.
The reality is, I have special needs myself, as do all of my children. It’s been a part of my life since I was born, and it will undeniably remain so until the day I die. I know the way people look down upon having any sort of special need. However, I also know the potential when given the attention to notice it. Every child always has the great potential to do really amazing things, no matter how the child is. But they need support to unlock their potential, which is exactly what our societies don’t give special needs children. And being able to be part of giving them what they deserve, it’s a blessing.
