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Beware The Ides Of March. Today, my best childhood friend would have turned 46; I turn 46 in September. [An image of him, me & “my” (parents’) 1976 MC is in the collage below.] Wonder what Josh would be doing, what his opinions of situations & people (even me) would be now, or even if he & I would still be friends or in touch. While connections made in childhood & adulthood are different, 1 aspect is the same: life is not guaranteed tomorrow, or even the next second. So, try not to take for granted anyone special.

The last few months the wheels in my mind have been running in extra innings [yes: spring, the Madness of March, baseball & “automotive season” are nearly here] for a multitude of reasons; somehow, all of this, along with all I’ve experienced, is intertwined in the perfect blend to add to life’s rich, spicy mix:
* working for my 1st official CD Consulting Services (see page via THIS LINK HERE) client, resulting in a renewed spark to craft for OC,SH which led to several Facebook- & Twitter-exclusive posts the last couple weeks [see collage & links below]
* observing Nephew & The 2 Nieces
* my Dad’s declining health
* job searching
* feeling lost & unsettled
* my heart issues
* a possible return of my show on a Huntley IL radio station [last regular “CD Showcase” was 03/13/2010; playlist can be seen via THIS LINK HERE]
* gearing up for the return of OC,SH’s full schedule
* the “Contentedness Of A Cat” (tho “Peace Of A Cat” is better wording)
* life lessons & deep depressing truths that sitcoms, which are supposed to be a comedic escape, sometimes slap upon us
* “Life Births”, which mark changes in our lives (blunt or subtle) that build upon who we are, finding another part of ourselves to add to the puzzle
* among others.

Every day, we are handed opportunities to shine & ample avenues to show our strength & resolve. While it took until mid-late July 2018 for my attempt to move to OR to end, glimpses of that once-unimaginable ending started in early March, just over a year ago now, with me writing in a personal FB status: “I’ve endured a lot in my lifetime (open heart surgeries, deaths of close family & friends, finding out the hard way not everyone who claims to be a friend really is, selling formerly-prized “family member” cars, etc), but this feels so much different. IF this Oregon move ends in failure (returning to IL), I’m not sure how I will be able to handle it.” BUT, in that same status, I also acknowledged: “I’ve experienced some totally awesome things in life: family & friends across the country who keep asking when I’ll drive back to see them, yearly road trips to see old & meet new friends 2002-2011, the power of prayer through 4 open heart surgeries & countless other procedures … going to annual conventions where most everyone knew & looked forward to seeing & talking to me, visiting areas of this country I may never see again, knowing many people who’ve impacted my life so greatly they will never know just how much.”

While I didn’t like moving back to IL, I’ve handled it better than I thought, all things considered, especially with still hunting for clients or a job. Perhaps 1 of life’s toughest parts is imagining life going on for ourselves when our world is crashing. Tough, as well, to watch family’n’friends & others moving along as if nothing is happening, when it seems like the collapse around us is so overwhelming it should be obvious to & seen by everyone. But, it isn’t because everyone is fighting internal battles. & yes, life DOES go on & we DO get stronger every day for facing our troubles & fears & forging ahead, however heart-wrenching or aggravating or frustrating or maddening it is. I know I have & continue to do so, including fond memories of OR.

We ALL need & deserve less difficult times & a lot more happiness. Something we can do to make life a little better is a suggestion a read recently: stop apologizing, start thanking. For instance, instead of apologizing for yet another long-winded “mid-hiatus” OC,SH website entry, I thank you for taking the time to read my (hopefully thought-provoking) words. 2 more huge thank yous: to all (past, current & future) who have been part of this ride of life with me & to all of you for choosing to be part of the Old Cars, Strong Hearts family, being patient with me in returning to the OC,SH regular schedule, a promise I made ~1.5 years ago & is finally a step closer to reality.

Ahead of the long-awaited return, the entry about automotive fronts will publicize NEXT Friday, a week from today! Meantime, will you please take some time to check out these pages & past entries of the current themes? You might find something even more thought-provoking, cool, shareable, or perhaps, something you missed when it 1st publicized.

PAGES
* OC,SH history via THIS LINK HERE
* OC,SH Network via THIS LINK HERE
* Vehicles, CHDs & Me via THIS LINK HERE
* Articles & Videos via THIS LINK HERE
* Photo Galleries (UPDATED) via THIS LINK HERE

CURRENT THEMES
* Road Trips & Working posts HERE
* At The Heart posts HERE
* Cruise Night Show posts HERE
* Daily Vehicle Choice posts HERE
* Monday Message posts HERE
* Miniature Monday posts HERE
* Turntable Tuesday posts HERE
* TV Tuesday posts HERE
* Wednesday Wakeup posts HERE
* Wednesday Wildlife posts HERE
* Thursday Throwback posts HERE
* Theatre Thursday posts HERE
* Friday Flashback posts HERE
* Friday Fun posts HERE
* Smorgasbord Saturday posts HERE
* Saturday Sizzler posts HERE
* Scenic Sunday posts HERE
* Story Sunday posts HERE

The collage accompanying this post is a sampling of the exclusive OC,SH posts I created as part of CD Consulting Services, with 3 bonus images:
* Josh & me when we were kids, with “my” (parents’) 1976 Monte Carlo (the car that sparked my automotive interests) peeking in behind Josh
* my new personal Facebook cover photo, with a image of me & an image of Nephew & The 2 Nieces
* a fun entry (“Springing into the campaign stretch drive”) I created for my 1st CD Consulting Services client

FACEBOOK POSTS
* “Times are tough but we survive” via THIS LINK HERE
* “Smile & hey to brighten your day” via THIS LINK HERE
* “Sunrise, Sunset” poll via THIS LINK HERE
* “Great humor brings the best laughter” via THIS LINK HERE
* “I prefer OC,SH” via THIS LINK HERE
* Earlier in February, auto insurance query via THIS LINK HERE
* An OC,SH express poll about cover photos via THIS LINK HERE

TWITTER TWEETS
* “Times are tough but we survive” via THIS LINK HERE
* “Smile & hey to brighten your day” via THIS LINK HERE
* “Sunrise, Sunset” poll via THIS LINK HERE
* “Great humor brings the best laughter” via THIS LINK HERE
* “I prefer OC,SH” via THIS LINK HERE