About
Would you like to know a bit more about the author behind this website and why and how it started?
I’m Jenny Burm. I was born in Belgium in 1957 as the oldest of 4 children; 1 brother and 2 sisters. I live in Belgium and have been happily married for many, many years.
I like reading fiction because it inspires my imagination. I also enjoy non-fiction to indulge my curiosity and love of learning. I enjoy the little things in life. I like to understand people, their feelings, and emotions, which is a determining factor in my current goal.
At the age of 15, I quit school. Overall, I didn’t like school. I was a quiet, average student. After leaving school I worked at a dry-cleaning service and in a bakery.
A few years later I began studying podiatry [while working these jobs full and part-time ].
After finishing my studies, I began my career as a podiatrist of 15 years as a self-employed. My favorite part about being a podiatrist was the interactions with people and helping my patients by relieving their pain and being a “listening ear”.
In 1995 we moved to the Ardennes where I ran a B&B for a few years. Today, I do marketing for vacation rentals. In my free time, I do research on child development.
Desire
I don't know why, but I feel great when I see people who are at peace with themselves and others, as a kind of harmony. Therefore, it would be great for me if I could contribute to more understanding, respect and tolerance among people.
I want to use my abilities in a search for ways to realize this harmony, so that people can reach their potential and happiness.
Ability
I seem to have a great ability to empathize with people. I can quickly understand all kind of peoples, and build a nice relationship with them.
Temperament
I'm also very persistent, like responsibilities, and want to see results. By nature, I'm a realist, yet with a touch of fantasy, optimism, and enthusiasm. I'm also curious, have a variety of interests and like the overview but not the details. I'm intrigued in "why people act in certain ways".
I'm an independent person who doesn't like control or details. I like to try things out on my own.
Being dyslexic
I discovered I had dyslexia at the age of 42. It was a positive experience to finally know the explanation for some aspects of my character.
In general, I was not so unhappy with myself, yet I wanted to improve certain skills, like being a better writer, reader, listener, being less confused, and expressing myself more clearly.
There were also a few things about myself, which puzzled me and I expected to find some answers after my search about dyslexia. After finding answers to those questions, it was like discovering a part of me that I didn't know or understood before, I had the feeling I could piece it all together.
Life is much easier if you know how you function. Not only is it easier for yourself but also for others around you.
My motivation to start this website
I was so happy with my discovery of having dyslexia, I wanted it to share this with others. It's a great help to know how I function and why certain things happen to me.
Furthermore, I witnessed the frustration and unhappiness of my nephew Maarten and his parents because nobody understood his behavior. By bringing knowledge and a positive view to dyslexia I hoop I will prevent the same experiences for other peoples.
Maarten was in 2000, at the age of 8, diagnosed with both ADD and dyslexia.
Thanks
I want to thank my husband Paul Iliano for his motivation and help, and my brother-in-law Dirk Iliano for being a patient proofreader.