Other than Lou Gehrig himself, Stephen Hawking is probably the most famous person to have had ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.) He passed away almost exactly one year after my father, in 2018. The difference is he miraculously lived with ALS for 54 years and my father only survived it about a year and a half after being diagnosed.

When I heard the news about Mr. Hawking it definitely made me think about my father. Dad only made it to age 67. I often wish that I could give him a call and ask him questions when I am struggling with different things in my life. He worked for the Veterans Administration as a programmer for almost 50 years and most of his efforts were in service of veterans. He was one himself, having served in Vietnam.

Stephen Hawking unquestionably contributed a great deal to science and was a role model and inspiration for persons with disabilities. The last book that he wrote, Brief Answers To The Big Questions, turned out to be very understandable and enlightening. He covers a lot of subjects. God, extraterrestrials, black holes, time travel, artificial intelligence, and more. I highly recommend it if you have an interest in hearing a unique perspective on these subjects from the mind of a true genius.

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