Monday, September 10, 2007
Sad Times and New Beginnings

I suffered a great loss recently. My grandfather, Jack Schneider, died on August 9, 2007. Besides being a very loving and caring person, he was also one of my best mates in the world. Over the past two years, Jack struggled with ALS better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The man I knew from childhood started to whither way as the condition took control of his whole body.

I flew to Florida for the funeral and was accompanied by my new and very beautiful girlfriend Sara. She dealt with my highly emotional state with grace and compassion. As we buried Jack, Sara held my hand. I was closing one chapter in my life (the loss of someone who was truly amazing to me), and opening a new one (the compassion and care of a beautiful young woman).

Losing Jack was especially hard to cope with because I had just returned from visiting him. One second I was chatting with him and the next, he was gone. Losing him was the most devastating loss I have ever faced. Gone was the loving man who said to me, “Warren you aren't disabled. You can do anything you want in life.”

Jack's confidence in me is something I want to pass on to kids and the families of kids who have Dyspraxia. He taught me that with determination, drive, and a good heart, people are who are just a bit unique can make it in life.

It has been hard adjusting to life without my grand dad, but I know he wanted me to continue working hard with the organization. I have been doing just that and I will now udpate you on new events at Dyspraxia USA NFP.

I decided it was time to get more connected with the non profit world in the city of Chicago. At first I was very nervous about making phone calls and going to selected events. But, I decided that in order to make progress with the organization, I had to try new things. At the beginning of September I did just that.

First, if you have Dyspraxia, the one thing you live on is instant gratification. I am finding out that its ok to ask for help, and I did this when obtaining the new accountant for the organization (Larry Acciari). Instead of just emailing random people I found on the computer, I asked my friends for suggestions about what to do. I needed to hire someone who would be good for the organization, not the first person who was available. Making sure someone could give me references and taking the time to check them out was important. Because I trusted the opinions of others with previous hiring experience, I did not give in to my need for instant gratification. I interviewed our new accountant and my consulted with my dad before making my final decision.

I must say I feel like i made the right decision and I am very happy with Mr. Acciari. He is always available, and he and his assistant have taken the time to learn about Dyspraxia so they know how to explain things to me. They tell me what papers I need to take to them and which documents need to be signed and where.

In memoriam of Jack Schneider 1931-2007 best mate, caring person and the man who instilled a lot of confidence in me until his last breath. He will truly be missed, and his heart and kind spirit will go on forever.

Posted by Warren Fried - dyspraxiausa.org at 1:20 PM