I won't complain - Even WIth ALS

Take note – it’s a SONG, not a promise. And it’s such a good and subtle song. Listen it. It’s got nothing to do with today’s post though.

A selection of moments from the previous weeks

We appeared on Pauw & Witteman (big late night show in NL). The table was full with RJ and Bernard and they get the story across just fine. Yes, I was a bit jealous not to sit there myself but serving my ego is not the purpose of our joint quest, so I was really happy to enjoy the experience and see that it helps MinE. See the interview here (in Dutch):

http://pauwenwitteman.vara.nl/media/313165

An email from the facilities desk. I’ve ordered new business cards with “Garmt van Soest – kicking ALS in the balls” and that does not conform to our policies. Compliance police! After three escalations we get to someone that can approve this exception. His worry: well, people might mistake ALS for Accenture Learning Solutions… So now I get business cards that say “Kicking ALS in the balls” with a small asterisk after ALS and fine print at the bottom explaining that ALS is a disease and that I am not kicking our own solution in the balls.

Sitting with Menko on our terrace, I wish, not for the first time, that we had a personal biographer – someone ought to capture our conversations for future generations to exegesise.

“The world is getting smaller. One small walk through the city and I have to stop for breath three times…”

“Actually, the world is getting bigger. Things that were close once are now a whole journey away.”

I smile and feel elated. I don’t mind travelling. I was afraid I would have seen the whole world by the time I’m 40 and just like this I learn there’s new discoveries waiting for me, everywhere, on the way from here to the supermarket, everything. Later that evening Menko puts on my socks with such gentle care, not better but so different than Iris. It’s nice to feel loved.

Today

I was just in a room with a guy who started the meeting by saying “I am responsible for managing 22 billion pounds of investments and wrote about 950 million in checks for charity last year”. My biggest check to charity ever was less than 0,0002% of that. Two other guys in that room are together responsible for nearly 500 published articles on ALS and the like – and I write a blog. And I felt perfectly at ease in this setting. After all, I got the meeting together (with lots of help, but still). Right now I am trying to open the yoghurt I bought for breakfast. It’s noon and I’ve been up for 8 hours. I can’t. I grin. I can call a world class meeting but I can’t open my yoghurt. I almost laugh out loud! Cackling, I finally manage to stab the thing open with my spoon and get most of the yoghurt in my mouth. I’m also dressed to kill so the contrast between clochard-like mad behavior and million dollar looks (who said I was modest) convinces the old lady next to me that I am a devil, if not THE devil.

Henrik replies to the previous post: Ik wil ook niet dat het al voorbij is, voor jou en voor mij, en dat is het ook nog niet, voor ons beiden niet. (I don’t want it to be over either, for you and for me, and it isn’t yet, for neither of us).

Today, I also tip over a glass of water all over me and my precious suit. Twice. In one day. In a plane. Both times.

The guy is… annoying, but he is a buyer. We shake hands after an hour of negotiations: our house is SOLD! Time for a beer! Iris did it!! She bought AND sold our house… while being pregnant and overworked. Man this woman is… something.

Some other bits and bobs

It’s a shame that I can’t share too much about what’s going on in the fight. It’s really, really, really cool though. Check out our latest thing: http://alsinvestorsday.org/. The short version: give me 10 million and 8 years from now I’ll give you 25 million back, ah, and also a medicine for ALS. Smaller investments are also welcome. Do you know anyone who is interested? Put them in touch so we can invite them to join us on May 19.

And finally, Juel told the story of our last supper and you can hear it here: