Waiting On Dreamit While Helping A Young Vet

Waiting for the rejection email, is mildly disturbing to my soul. Dreamit has said they will let all teams know if they were a finalist or not today. Accelerators do not call them rejection emails, but all of us startup treps always feel a bit rejected when we find out our team did not make it. It's a grand hope shattered in a millisecond. Then you go on building or pivoting to something else. I've been checking email all day and no rejection email. Y Combinator sent their rejection email really late in the day, so there is still time to get rejected. ; - ) 

Today I spent the day helping one of our country's young veterans, Cody. I met Cody a few years ago and he did some work on my last startup DigiThin. He also is in my top ten list most popular stories Wrapping Your Head Around The Self Judgement Of Yourself  Cody

Cody

served in Afghanistan. Like me he has PTSD. We have helped each other in our quest to not suffer. A few weeks ago he was really down to the point of suicidal thoughts. I was there to talk him out of if. Yes he made it back alive, but he is set to be parentless at the age of twenty six. His mother came down with breast cancer while he was serving and he received leave, to come home and say goodbye to her before she passed. After his four years was up, his dad got brain cancer and as I type this, his dad lays on his deathbed. It's heart breaking. 

Cody is struggling to find a job and he mentioned to me he was the most broke he had ever been in his life. I told him, I have a yard full of leaves you can come rake and I'll pay you. He was so happy to get a little work he showed up promptly. But then I told him, we have to go somewhere first. I have to show you something. I took him to Fort Logan National Cemetery. I showed him my dads grave and then Danny Dietz Jr's grave. Danny is one of the four men portrayed in the movie Lone Survivor. My husband and I know Danny's parents. 

Danny's grave was beautiful. As every year, since he passed, his mother Cindy has placed a grave blanket made of Evergreen at Christmas time. Cody was inspired in his heart. He said, I've never

been to a cemetery like this, and I'm honored and humbled. I told him, that I always want to help our veterans, and there are a million causes out there to participate in or give money to, but that I just wanted to help one. I told him, that I'm adopting you as the one veteran I help the rest of my life. I said you made it back, and you have to know that means something. I'm your family and as long as I live you can count on me to help when you need help, listen when you need to vent, encourage when you are at your lowest. Laugh with you when life is good.

We returned to my house and Cody began working. It was an extraordinary warm day in Denver for December, sixty seven degrees! All along I would check my email for the Dreamit rejection email. No email all day. As I type this at 4:56 PM Denver time, still no email. I do not know why this bothers me so much. Who waits for a rejection email? I think inside of me I have 1% hope playing. It's sad I ought to have more faith in my team and idea,and I do, but it's hard getting into an accelerator, especially if you do not have traction. When I get the reject email, well, I can then move on in my mind. I won't be stuck in the waiting period. That's all. 

I took Cody out to lunch, then filled up his gas tank. WOW gas prices are wonderful! $2.55 for premium and $2.25 for regular. AMAZING! I think it's time for a whole bunch of road trips! Maybe I should visit every national cemetery! I love cemeteries, they are filled will beautiful people. They are not sad to me at all. They are inspiring!