I’d like to take you back with me to May 7, 2017, and I’m going to make this short and to the point. My son Jake was not living with us. We were no longer sending money, paying for things, allowing him to live at home, etc… I woke up that day just like every other day; however, I had no idea how drastically life was about to change for our entire family. My son had been living with his cousin and his family near Chicago. Jake knew the rules and conditions for being able

January 18, 2026 I tried to write this yesterday but I couldn’t get my fingers to move over the keys. Yesterday. 1.17.2026. I wanted to do a lot of things yesterday, but I spent most of the day locked into quiet introspection instead. What did I want to do? Eat a can of Armour chili. Go bowling. Listen to “Whip It” by Devo, “Devil with a Blue Dress On” by Mitch Ryder, “Baby Likes to Rock It” by The Tractors, “Trashy Women” by Confederate Railroad and “Go Rest High on

I’m not afraid of change or of a challenge, but I suppose I could also be accused at times of dragging my feet. Or maybe even resisting doing what I know needs to happen. There’ve been times in my life when I have wished a note would fall from the sky telling me what to do because I was seeking guidance. Perhaps that is where the foot-dragging comes into play because I want to make sure I am doing the right thing. Typically, in life, we don’t get notes or signs that tell us e