To All my Friends

o As many of you know I have been wallowing in self pitty and self destruction these last few months over a person I love with all my heart who is now gone

Today God put someone in my life that I will never forget. He was and always will be an inspiration to me and I hope to you as well.

Today at the radio station we had an outdoor bbq in the parking lot.

Without going through every detail I started a conversation with one of the caterers. As hispanic kid I would say mid 20s. had that gansta look (old jim peaks out for a second). So as I was talking to I was pretending to be happy, you know fake it until you make it.

We were talking and all I was thinking about is my problems. Then I learned that he was a cook there, 27, made the peach cobler. I asked him if went to school for that and he said no , he is actually in his 6th yr of vet school. And for a split second the old Jim peaked out and said no way not this kid. But then I listened to his story. He came over by himself from mexico after he graduated high school at 16.

I asked why he came by himself and he told me that he lost his family. His monther died of cancer a few months ago, his father was in an oil refinery accident a few years ago and was so severely injured they took him off life support, his 16 year old sister was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver.....and he just lost his baby son to spinal menegitas not long ago.

I was speachless. As the thoughts of my problems flew out of my head and where replace by his, one thought came to my head that i had to ask him...How do you smile. He looked up to the sky and said to make them proud. He is doing it for his family and his son who is watching down on him. He said he wanted to be succesful for them amd make something out of his life

I shook his hand hugged him and told him h e was truly an inspiration to everyone.

I never got his name but i think his story was what i was supposed to remember and share.

The last two people I have met in the last two days are truly inspirations in my life. Not their story but how to live life. They have taught me that there is happiness in everything in the universe no matter what your circumstances are. Embrace life. Live it and NO MATTER what your problem in life is, turn it around, work it out and make it a life alterning / decision making inspiration for someone

never lose hope and never give up

Jim