2008 was definitely the year of change. My life was complete shit and I had decided early in that year that I had e-fucking-nough of the bullshit! I can honestly say that, other than fatherhood, there was not ONE single aspect of my life that was satisfying even a little bit. Not one. In fact, at that time I was looking back over my entire, yet short, adult life and couldn’t find one thing worthy of celebrating. And ALL I kept thinking was, “What the fuck went wrong, when, how, and how do I get off this dead end street?”

Mostly because of the wise counsel of my dad, I was able to come to grip with all the anger, resentments, hurt, pain, and sadness, etc. that I was now dealing with on the regular. I remember clearly the moment when I decided to let go. Let go. It’s usually easier said than done. But I did it. So sparing the details let’s just fast-forward to the present:

Marriage issues resolved, and a bond that’s stronger than ever: CHECK

Not one, but TWO beautiful, healthy, happy, and intelligent baby boys: CHECK

Family drama squashed: CHECK

Dealt with the bullshit managers at my job taking advantage of me: CHECK

Finally left ^ that company last month as the ship was sinking: CHECK, and

Got a brand new job in the industry I want to be in with the title, responsibilities, and pay that my previous employer should have provided me with: CHECK

Dropped that sorry ass graduate program atthat sorry ass school I was attending, and on track to enroll in a different university, with a different major: CHECK

29lbs lost, with 2 more lbs. to go, six-pack abs, chiseled physique like it’s 1995 again: CHECK, man!

Cholesterol numbers dropping without taking that bullshit medicine that was killing me: CHECK.

Back writing music and involved with photography: CHECK

Left my church, and basically organized religion in general, and now closer to creatot than I’ve ever been in my life: CHECK

Social life, non-profit work, and fraternal involvement all in sync and thriving: CHECK

Rediscovering all the little things in life really do mean a lot: CHECK

Making no excuses or apologies for who I am, where I am, what I want to be, and what I want to have or do: CHECK

Never EVER allowing myself to be manipulated by ANYbody or ANYthing for ANY reason: CHECK, g’the fuck outta here with that!

Can look at my life now, at age 36, and know that even though it not what I’ve always imagined it would be that it it’s still all right when it seems all wrong: CHECK!

Fantastic