I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!!

Heh...

It ain't near as bad as it used to be.

Also, I have some small familiarity with self preservation, and am not completely useless in a physical altercation.

Still, the wife doesn't go anywhere without me while we're here.

 

I'm hip. I got to celebrate my birthday with my brother and his wife last week. Now I'm in Chicago relaxing on a 34. No such thing as a perfect job but moments like these make it more than worth it.

I spent years railing against this lifestyle, kicking against the goads and raging against God Himself for what I considered a cruel assignment to a job and life I foolishly considered beneath me (former white collar guy, remember).

Since letting go of my snobbery and choosing to live and bloom where I'm planted I've become a much happier guy. Now I have a whole lot more positive things to say. And I've made some of the best friends of my life.

 

Life is an uphill climb. When the road is wide and the way is smooth and straight and the sun is shining and the breeze is gentle and everybody is marching in lockstep with you and holding hands and singing your praises, anybody can do it. But when the road becomes narrow and the way is rocky and steep and the cold winds blow and the lightning flashes and the thunder rolls and the rain comes pouring down and it becomes so dark that you can barely see your path...then your character is defined.

Because the decision you make as you cling desperately to the mountainside you find yourself upon will determine your very destiny. As you cast about yourself wondering what you're going to do, you will--not may, but will--see the same madding crowd that was singing your praises and so close to you when things were bright. They will be calling out to you from the shelter of a cave marked Security. It will be within easy reach and the path to the cave will be a safe one. That crowd will call upon you to not be a fool and abandon your path and come in from the storm and to join them in the shelter of Security. The temptation to join them will be great. But something will happen if you do this that will affect the rest of your journey.

When you enter the cave, that crowd will throw chains upon you and will change from your friends to your jailers. Too late, you will realize that it is no cave marked Security, but a dungeon, and its name is Mediocrity. You will pay a heavy price indeed to escape that dungeon, and it will break your heart and your spirit--believe me, I know what I'm talking about.

If, however, you make the decision to make the storm a crucible to forge your character, then you will ignore that crowd and spurn the false security of the cave. Instead, stand. Turn your face to the wind, beat on your chest, and shout out to the storm, "I WILL NOT LOOK BACK, THINK BACK, PULL BACK, FALL BACK, OR BE HELD BACK! STORM, YOU ARE RAGING FOR NOW, BUT COME THE MORNING YOU WILL PASS AND BE A MEMORY, BUT I WILL STILL BE HERE!!" The Wisdom of the Ages says that undeserved suffering is painful, but temporary. And it brings with it patience, perseverance, compassion, and an incredible strength and depth of character--if one does not succumb to the terrible and debilitating trap of bitterness.

It all starts with a step. And to take that step, one needs a path, a road, a journey. And for there to be a journey, one must first have a destination, a goal--a purpose. What is your reason for doing what you do? Is it big enough to make you stand and shout to the storm? What kind of character will be revealed in you? I respectfully submit to you that you will never be put through more than you can bear, but that there will always be a way out so you can stand it. Sometimes the best out is to wait out the storm and stay the course. You can pray for the strength to stand, but you have to have a goal worthy of the pain. You need a big enough reason to make it worth the storms.

If your only reason is money...your reason isn't big enough. Money is a tool, a means to an end. When money becomes the end in itself, that is the beginning of every kind of evil. If money is your end goal, I again respectfully submit that you should rethink your goals. But that's a discussion for another time.

(Steps off soap box, packs up pulpit, wanders off)

 

(Bell ringing) It's Monday morning! I can't wait to see what kind of wacky, fun-filled, life affirming shenanigans this glamorous and high paying job has for me today!! Wheeeee, hahaha!!!

(No, I mean that...sorry if it sounded sarcastic....)

Actually, I got 6 miles to a live unload then 80 miles to a drop and hook then as far as I can get towards Allentown PA for one that delivers by 1730 tomorrow, with possibly 2 preplans by shutdown tonight. All good. Like any great day it all starts with a great poop. So, if you'll excuse me...time to get started.

 

The goat got bored and wandered off one day. While walking around in a mall browsing consumer electronics and high end jewelry, he was approached by an Amway Independent Distributor. He attended a couple of meetings and began to dream of bigger things. When he began to believe in his dreams, he stopped associating with the negative people in his life. Since I was only keeping him around to sacrifice him, I'm afraid I fit into the negative category. He went to an Amway convention in Knoxville and I haven't seen him since.

Next time I see him he is soooo getting sacrificed.