Meet Jeremy

Why moving forward is important to me.

When I was a kid, I remember my dad going through a phase of having me write “Life is not fair.” twenty-five times any time I would say something wasn’t fair. While I remember this being something I had to do a lot, it may have only happened a handful of times, but it was enough to drive that line into my head and teach me a very valuable lesson. Life isn’t fair.

Early in the morning on November 1st 1997, I was involved in a car accident that would change my life forever. My right hand was “de-gloved”, meaning that the entire top port of my upper arm from just above the wrist to the first knuckle of my fingers was ripped off. Skin, tendon’s, nerve endings. Gone. The doctor’s told me that it would be a long journey, and I might be able to recover 60% of the functionality of my dominate hand.

It took a couple of years, several surgeries, hours of rehabilitation, and the support of my family and friends to get a grip (pun intended) on the situation. During that time I learned how to tie a shoe one handed, used chopsticks for the first time, and fell in love with my future wife. I also learned one very valuable lesson: it’s not what life throws at you that matters, it’s always moving forward that counts.

Moving forward has become my mantra. I use it on my email signatures and have it as my license plate. It started out as a way to communicate perseverance, grit, determination. As I get older, it’s a reminder to fall forward, to run toward something, not away from something. To continually create momentum that challenges you and everyone around you to never stop growing, never stop learning, never stop loving, and most of all, never stop living.

Always. Moving. Forward.