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If we’ve ever shared a room or taken a long road trip together, you probably already know this about me: I snore. Loudly. I’ve done it most of my life and never thought much of it. With asthma and allergies in the mix, I always assumed it was just part of the package.

But things changed recently, thanks to a required DOT (Department of Transportation) medical card renewal. Let me explain.

What’s a DOT Medical Card, and Why Does It Matter?

As a truck driver, I’m required to maintain a valid DOT Medical Card to prove I’m medically cleared to drive. It’s a pretty routine physical: weight, eyesight, hearing, reflexes, etc. Nothing fancy.

Now, let me just say: I’ve seen some hefty folks pass that physical and wondered how. So I wasn’t too worried when my turn came. Especially since our terminal in Springfield has an in-house clinic, chiropractor, and sleep study center. Super convenient.

Everything went fine… until we got to my BMI and neck size. That’s when the red flag went up.

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“Medically Obese”: A Reality Check

Seeing “obese” on paper hit hard. I’ve always been active…teaching ZUMBA classes, riding trails, running 5Ks. But after COVID shut down my gym (RIP Woodcreek in Tyler) and changed everything, my activity dropped off. Combine that with sitting behind the wheel for a living, and well… weight crept up.

In team trucking, one person drives while the other sleeps. That means the truck rarely stops except for fuel or loading/unloading. Long story short: no time for workouts.

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The Sleep Study Surprise

Because of my BMI, the DOT physician required a sleep study before renewing my card. Cue the anxiety. I didn’t know what to expect, but I got it scheduled and showed up at the clinic around 9:45 p.m.

To my surprise, the room looked more like a bunkhouse room than a clinic, which was oddly comforting. The tech was chill and walked me through the process…until the wires came out.

Sensors on my chest, arms, scalp, a couple of belts, a nasal cannula, and a pulse ox on my finger… it felt like I was hooked up for a lie detector at NASA. Sleeping while being watched on camera? Not ideal. But eventually, I dozed off.

At one point, they woke me up to put on a CPAP machine, so they could compare sleep data with and without it.

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The Diagnosis: Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Around 6:00 a.m., they gently woke me up. I didn’t feel very rested, but that’s how I usually feel, so I didn’t think much of it. Later that day, the doctor went over my results.

The verdict?

Every 45 seconds, I stopped breathing in my sleep.

Let that sink in.

I was officially diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. That hit me like a ton of bricks.

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The Machine That Changed My Sleep

After the diagnosis, I met with a tech who introduced me to my new travel buddy: a CPAP machine. It’s quieter than I expected and reminds me of the asthma nebulizer treatments I used as a kid.

But here’s the catch…I have to use it every night, even on vacation, to remain DOT compliant.

I dreaded the first night using it in the truck. But guess what? It wasn’t bad. I slept through the night, woke up feeling refreshed, and had more energy than usual. That was a first in a long time.

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So… Is This What Getting Old Feels Like?

Maybe. Or maybe it’s just life nudging me toward better health, even if it took a snoring diagnosis to do it.

What I do know is this: taking care of your health is worth the hassle. Whether it’s getting a sleep study, using a CPAP, or just listening to your body, it matters.

Stay safe out there, drivers. And get some real sleep.

#TruckDriverLife #SleepApnea #DOTMedicalCard #CPAPJourney #HealthOnTheRoad #LifeAfterCOVID #TruckingHealth

Friendship is one of the most enriching and complex aspects of being human. While we often view romantic relationships as the emotional core of life, friendships, especially the deep, everyday connections, are equally important. They provide us with companionship, reflection, and a sense of safety. Friends are the people who help keep us grounded. They allow us to grow and also put us in our place when we need it.

In your 20s, friendships can feel effortless. They’re often born out of shared experiences: college, first jobs, going out, growing up. Your friends feel like extensions of yourself, always around, always up for anything. I was always surrounded by people, many of whom I considered friends. But in your 30s, life begins to shift in more permanent ways, and so do your relationships. Some friends grow closer, others drift quietly away. Some departures sting deeply. Some arrivals surprise you.

It’s a lot…but it’s all normal.

All kinds of friends come into our lives, those friendships change over time, and it’s so important not to take those changes personally, even when they hurt. This has been something that I have struggled with as of late. Mainly because of the bonds that were established with people.

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The Different Types of Friends We Meet Along the Way

Friendship isn’t one-size-fits-all. And that’s a good thing. Here are a few types of friends that I have encountered along my short journey:

• The Ride-or-Die
  This is your lifer. The one who’s seen you through breakups, moves, breakdowns, and wins. You don’t talk every day, but the connection never weakens. You can have more than one of these. I have a couple that I can call at any time of the night.
• The Situational Friend
  You’re close because of context—work, school, a shared class at the gym. The bond is real, but often temporary. This can also be the friend that you only hear from when it’s on their terms, or when they may be going through a crisis.
• The Growth Friend
  These friends come into your life during transformative seasons. They challenge, stretch, and support you. Sometimes they stay. Sometimes they were meant for that chapter only. Like Madea said, “Sometimes people are meant to be in our lives for a season”…and that’s completely okay.
• The History Friend
  You’ve known each other forever. Maybe you’ve grown apart, but the past binds you. There’s love, even if the connection isn’t as strong today. This may be the person you met in the 3rd grade and was the person you rode the swingset with every day, or someone you spent all those summer days growing up fishing or riding bikes.
• The New Friend
  Yes, new best friends can be made in your 30s. These friendships are often more intentionally rooted in values and mutual respect rather than proximity. This could be someone you might have struck up a conversation with at a bar or through a mutual friend. Often, these friendships can be just as meaningful as earlier ones.

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How Friendships Change in Your 30s

Your 30s are full of divergence. Some people are raising toddlers. Others are climbing career ladders. Some are navigating divorce or illness. The pace and priorities of life start to look very different for everyone, and that impacts how, when, and even if friendships stay the same. I personally have had to take a step back and realize that “ok we all have lives, let me not get upset over a missed engagement or a dinner that needed to be cancelled.

• Time becomes scarce. Schedules fill with partners, kids, work, and rest. It’s not personal. It’s math. We find ourselves scheduling a catch-up phone call or even meeting up for coffee for 30 minutes. Almost out of nowhere, we all have become busy, it seems.
• Values evolve. What matters to someone at 25 may not matter at 35 and vice versa. I’m probably not going to be as apt to going to the strip club now, like I would have been in my 20’s.
• Friendships become more intentional. In your 30s, there’s less energy for maintaining friendships that feel one-sided, draining, or outdated. I have a lot less time and a lot less tolerance for “woe is me” conversations. At this age, we need to be about some accountability and fixing. But I digress…
• Emotional bandwidth varies. Life hits harder. And sometimes, people just can’t be there in the way they, or you, once were. The one thing that I am going to stress is my PEACE. Because NOTHING will come between me and the one thing that is keeping me sane. Lol AKA “Ain’t got time for the bullshit”.

And yet, many friendships do survive these transitions. Many of mine have, thus far. Some even deepen through the shared vulnerability of adult life. But others? They fade. And that fading can feel like a quiet kind of heartbreak. This is a different kind of grief that doesn’t get talked about enough, I feel.

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The Quiet Grief of a Lost Friendship

When a romantic relationship ends, there’s an entire script for grief. You cry. You talk. You mourn. Then a friend swoops in for drinks, you go out and then all is well. But when a friendship ends or simply fades, there’s often no ceremony, no clear ending. Just a growing distance, a lingering ache, and maybe a few too many unsent messages.

And still, the grief is real.

Friendship grief can come in many forms:

• The slow fade. Texts get shorter. Calls become rare. Eventually, silence settles in.
• The rupture. A disagreement, betrayal, or shift that ends the connection abruptly.
• The circumstantial drift. No falling-out, no drama. Just life pulling you in different directions.

It hurts because these people mattered. They held your secrets. They made you laugh until you cried. You experienced so many firsts together. They were there. And now they’re not. To say “it is what it is” feels like placing that flaky salt in a fresh wound while squeezing a fresh lime

But just because it ended doesn’t mean it failed. It simply means the relationship served its purpose in that season of life. Some friendships are meant to be forever. Others are meant to be formative. I think we fall into traps, believing that all friendships are supposed to be forever.

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When Politics Enter the Room: A New Layer of Complexity

This one as of late has been one that I have been struggling with the most. As we get older, politics stop being something that sits on the sidelines of our lives. They start to matter more because they reflect our values, how we see the world, and how we treat others. And those differences can either draw friends closer or drive them apart. Me, I am a stone-cold, blue as they get “leftist” as they like to call it. The values just line up with me personally.

Sometimes, political alignment strengthens a friendship. Shared beliefs create a sense of safety and solidarity. You feel seen, supported, and connected through common values.

But sometimes, politics expose differences you didn’t realize were there, or didn’t want to confront. Especially when the disagreement isn’t just about policy, but about identity, justice, or lived experience. I don’t even need to begin explaining what the country is going through right now. It really makes it difficult to listen to some people, because they say one thing and vote for another. It’s hard for me to understand someone’s train of thought for supporting the current president amid everything that has been done since he has been in office.

Navigating this is hard. Some questions to ask yourself:

• Can I still be myself around this person?
• Do they respect my boundaries and beliefs?
• Is this a difference of opinion or a difference in core values?

Not every difference is a dealbreaker. But some are. (I fully support being able to have friends with different opinions, because it is cause for good conversation, but when they infringe on someone else’s rights, that’s a no for me.) I honestly want to know sometimes, what makes people cringe at going to a Drag Show vs seeing Tyler Perry dress as Madea or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire. These are things I cannot wrap my head around. And walking away from a friendship because of deeply held principles doesn’t make you dramatic….it makes you honest. Though they may not see things that way, the best thing you can do for yourself is be honest.

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Don’t Take It Personally (Even When It Feels Personal)

When someone pulls away or a friendship ends, the urge to analyze every detail is strong. Did I say the wrong thing? Did I stop trying? Was I not enough? But more often than not, it’s not about something you did wrong. It’s about life doing what life does best…..change. I am guilty as charged, though. I often contemplate lost or fizzled friendships and try to piece where things may have gone wrong.

People evolve. Energy shifts. Availability shrinks. Priorities get reordered. And sometimes, friendships are quietly left behind, not out of malice, but out of reality.

The best thing you can do is let it go with grace. Send love in their direction, even if from afar. Leave the door cracked, if it feels right. Or gently close it, if that brings you peace.

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Final Thoughts: Friendship Is Fluid, But Always Worth It

Friendship in your 30s isn’t about having a big circle. It’s about having true connection. It’s about being around people who see you, support you, and show up when it matters. People who laugh with you, hold space for your growth, and respect the seasons you’re in…even if those seasons don’t always align.

Let friendships evolve. Let them end, if they need to. Let new ones bloom. Most of all, let yourself feel everything that comes with it—the joy, the grief, the nostalgia, the hope.

Because friendship isn’t static. It’s alive. And that means its gonna change.

But if you’re open to it, it will keep showing up…just when you need it most.

Whew, that was a lot….

~Ron

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This time, leaving was tougher than usual. We dragged our feet, not quite ready to let go. It was one of those heavy-hearted days the kind that weighs on you even before the wheels start turning.

Just 2½ months on the road this time. Just us, the open highway, and a cab full of thoughts. Saying goodbye never gets easier, no matter how often we do it. It’s always that familiar mix: pride in what we do and worry about what we leave behind.

Leaving home is part of the job but that doesn’t mean it stops hurting. Our friends try to keep things light jokes, hugs, the usual “drive safe” send-off. But behind the smiles, I can feel it: they sense the distance coming, too.

I truly love what I do. It’s been a blessing seeing all 48 lower states, stopping at places most only dream of, feeling the freedom of the open road. There’s something grounding in the rhythm of the engine, the horizon constantly shifting. But still every mile puts space between us and the people we love. And that space never feels quite right.

Soon, this chapter will be just a memory. A new journey is waiting for us…a wedding, a home, getting back into the gym, riding bikes, building a new rhythm for daily life. No more guessing what tomorrow holds. Instead, we’ll build a schedule, something steady, something ours. A life with more presence and less pause.

As we load up the truck, we’re not just packing gear, we’re carrying the echoes of home. The sound of laughter in the kitchen, the smell of real food, the comfort of being surrounded by the ones who know us best. That’s what will carry me through until I return.

2½ months. It’ll fly by…or crawl. Either way, we’ll make it count.

Time to roll.

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Crazy that the last blog I wrote was about mental health, friends, spirituality, and fitness. I guess I will run things down from the beginning. Now I’m not one to get too personal, but my way of getting things out and off of my chest is to write them. So here goes. Just two days after I posted my last entry, while driving in Tennessee, I received a phone call from my dad’s girlfriend’s oldest daughter that my dad had passed. I hung up the phone and my body went numb, and I pulled over and woke Jessica up because I couldn’t and didn’t want to put us in a bad situation. I told her what had happened, and she consoled me as I cried uncontrollably and lay in the bed while she got us to the nearest truck stop. Once we got to the truck stop and gathered myself, I called my dad’s girlfriend’s daughter back and started asking questions. I wasn’t given any direct answers and was basically told that her mom would handle everything and that I didn’t need to make this situation a pissing match Instantly my blood began to boil. How dare she tell me to not make a big deal out of my father’s passing. They were thinking about having a service on Tuesday and he passed on a Friday. All I needed to do was show up in their eyes. Showing up was not enough for me. I wanted to be there and help plan with my father’s service, as well as to make sure that his brothers and sisters from California were notified and had plenty of time to travel to Texas for his service. This triggered me, as it would anyone that is someone’s only child in their death. I called my brother and let him know what was going on, as well as my mother which he was last married to. My cousin from Montana who was close to my dad reached out to me, let me know that she was not getting any information either. There were phone calls back and forth to attempt to speak with my dad’s girlfriend, but every time I called it was always one of her daughters, and not her. Which I couldn’t understand, because it was her I felt the need to speak with. (Just a little background on her and my dad. They had been together for about 17 years but never legally married. We (his girlfriend and myself) never really had much of a relationship due to whatever reasons since I was a kid, but you would think as an adult, one would attempt to want to at least be kosher with the child of the person that you are seeing. (But that’s another story for another day.)

Since I wasn’t given any straight answers by anyone I decided to do my own research to figure out what had happened to my dad. Naturally, I have his social and date of birth because both of my parents have given them to me in case things happen and I need them, it also helped in my dad’s case that I am a Jr. I called the hospital, and they told me that he had family there when he passed. This struck me as off because as far as I was understood his girlfriend and her family may have been there, but his blood family was not. I politely let them know that I am his biological living next of kin, and I have been kept in the dark. The doctor and whomever else I had talked to at the hospital seemed confused. They could not give me any names or where he had been transported to. I called around and found out that my dad had been transported from the hospital to a funeral home, just hours after he had passed. I understand that things have to be done quickly in these circumstances, but as his only son and his living next of kin, I surely thought that I would be in on these plans. At the very least kept in the loop as things progressed. Once I got a hold of the funeral home that he was transported to, I kindly let them know that I am his living next of kin and that he does not have a wife. Again, the funeral home was confused as to how this could happen.

Needless to say since Jessica and myself were in Tennessee on a load, our company quickly found someone to take our current load from us and routed us to Texas. We were able to get from Tennessee to Texas City, Texas in about 24 hours. My brother came to assist with communication since he is older and my dad’s girlfriend’s girls seemed to like him more than I. We all went to the funeral home to see my father and pay our respects and to spend a few moments with him. Once we arrived to my dad’s house and spoke to his girlfriend who had been calling herself my dad’s wife since his passing. Anyone that knew my dad knew that he was not getting re-married to anyone. But things went as expected. We were called bad sons, and other things, because we had been living our lives. No one should be told that they are bad children because they do not visit enough in someone else’s eyes. But this was done in an attempt to get a rise out of us. This tactic did not work. But to fast forward we were on a wild goose chase to figure things out on behalf of my father. Come to find out much to our surprise, his girlfriend was listed as his sole beneficiary on EVERYTHING. Now just to insert a note here…my dad has always told us that when his time came that my brother and I would be well taken care of and to not worry about any of that. This leads me to believe that someone had gone into my father’s records. This could have easily been done because my dad wasn’t big on computers, and now, all of those insurance forms ect. are done online. After finding this information, this obviously hurt, because we did not have the proper funds to bury my dad. His girlfriend knew these things (claimed she did not), but still allowed us to go on a wild goose chase to figure these things out. After all of those things transpired, we felt pretty much defeated and it made grieving hard because things turned into rage pretty quickly. Because of the financial advantage (my dad’s insurance, retirement ect.)

We visited the funeral home once more with his girlfriend, and just as we expected, none of our requests were warranted. My father was a veteran and served our country in the Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant. We were going to have him in a black Marine Corps casket as well as have military honors done by the local Marine Corps office. But because she was the one with the money, she was the one that called the shots. We really need to look at the way funeral homes and our medical field handle these things…but that’s just me. Luckily, the funeral home didn’t list her as the spouse on his death certificate, but the informant (wife) because she had no legal paperwork stating that they were married. We attended a quickly put together memorial service that I was not asked to participate in, speak or be acknowledged. After the entire fiasco, I was pretty much drained and needed to get away. I didn’t feel like pouring salt in my very open wounds by witnessing what they were planning for my dad’s funeral. My cousin suggested since we were already in the gulf, we should see about getting on a cruise. We looked and saw that a few were fairly cheap for a few days and we booked it. After paying my respects to my father at the funeral home, I felt like I had done my due diligence. I was not about to go to the service that his girlfriend put together with none of my dad’s wishes thought of. We jumped on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas and headed to Mexico for a week of relaxation and reflection.

I have said all of that to say, PLEASE get life insurance through your job, as well as a separate organization, it does not matter where, but do some research on what will be best for you. Keep in mind that the people that come to assist will have bills to pay and accommodations that will need to still be paid for as well. Keep that in mind when you are picking a plan and determining how much you will need. Have your beneficiaries picked out and make sure that they know who they are, they do not need to know what or how much you are leaving them. All that they need to know is that they will be the ones taking care of your business when you pass. Have contingency plans made for EVERYTHING!!! This will help ease everyone because you will have had everything done in advance for them. I don’t wish what I had to endure on my worst enemy by far.

Learning.
Being in the truck so far has been a big learning experience. I have had to re-learn how to be in a relationship with someone that is next to me literally 24/7. This has been tough because the first half of our relationship Jessica was on the road and I was at the apartment working and doing things that one normally does while living at home with a normal job like hanging with friends, going out to eat, hosting and going to small get togethers, you know, the norm. But getting my CDL and now living in the truck full time has forced me to look at things differently, not only in my relationship with Jessica, but also the relationships that I have with my friends. This is something that I challenge everyone to do, not just because of circumstances, but because we all need to take a step back sometimes so that we can re-evaluate our priorities and to make sure that we are truly happy and doing what we truly want to do. I think the biggest issue that I have is that I have never done well in situations where I am put on the spot, unless It has to do with work (I don’t play with my doll-hairs) but I struggle with many yes or no questions. Not because I don’t understand, I just like to think and weigh my options first. Me being a Cancer baby doesn’t exactly help. Lol I also am not the best with confrontations, I am not one to immediately speak on issues as they arise, I like to sit and think them out, because I don’t want to come off as insensitive, argumentative, or just hella rude. Being with someone 24/7 really doesn’t allow me to get away like I want to. My drive shifts do give me the freedom to think and attempt to get everything in my head squared away. Music has been my get away while I’m driving especially when I’m in my head. It just helps me sort through things a little easier.

Friends.
During the Mercury Retrograde I was all over the place, emotional overload is what I really think it was, and I didn’t really know how to express it all. I was dealing with the loss of my uncle, my mom who was a wreck over it, and some other things. When those things do happen I tend to be really quiet and reserved, because primarily I’m trying to filter through my emotions internally and do everything else (I was exhausted to be honest) While filtering through these emotions I started to think about my friends back home. I have such a wide range of friends its crazy. When embarking on this adventure though I had some that were very encouraging and those that weren’t. I don’t know if I would necessarily call them haters, more so that they don’t understand and can’t picture themselves in my position. This is my story and my journey and not theirs. I will say though the older that I have gotten my circle of true friends has greatly decreased. Mainly because I stopped being the giver all the time. I’ve learned that once you start to hold others accountable, they tend to not like the pressure, and then vanish into thin air. I’ve also learned that friends like that served a purpose when they were around, and they weren’t meant to last that long.

Religion & Spirituality.
While on the note of mental health and things, one biggie for me is religion and spirituality. I do consider myself a Christian. I believe in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Now what I have started to veer away from is the whole religious bit. My reasoning for this is that there are far too many self-serving denominations that really aren’t living by the simple things, like living as the Lord and not judging others. Not to say that I will not attend church, because I enjoy it. Mainly for the theatrics and things, it serves its purpose but at the same time I believe that its your personal relationship with the creator is what comforts you and helps you along life’s journeys. The more that I have gotten into the church, the more I have begun to distance myself. Mainly because of the over-righteous approach that many “people of faith” have. They claim to be living for the pleasure of the Lord, but will be the very ones that talk down about others. Clearly if they had been reading and understand the Bible for what it is, they would know that this is exactly what the Lord wouldn’t want us to do. The people that “the righteous” are talking about and pushing away are the exact people that they should be welcoming in and teaching them about the love in the Bible. People are so used to hearing and witnessing the just that, they turn from the church all together. This is my biggest concern, but my walk is a little different than most. lol  Learning Astrology, crystals, and how our bodies react when in nature are all a part of being one with the creator. In my eyes, if the creator created those things, the moon, the stars, the ocean, crystals, and how our bodies react in nature how are these bad things? We have come all too complacent in listening to someone feed you the word and how they perceive rather than realizing that the creator resides within each and every one of us. I don’t have to go to this church or that church and follow this person and their teachings to get an understanding. What I need to do is to get out and experience life and live through the word. Which all in all is pretty easy, you just have to love one another for who they are and nothing less. This whole “love the sinner hate the sin” is a bunch of BS. Just love PERIOD! End of story, Buh BYE! Religion has been used in the past and present as a tool to coerce people into things and I for one am not all for it. I still read my bible verses, but I’m also learning about crystals, their healing attributes, as well as how my Chakras work along with the crystals and the healing power of nature in itself.

Fitness.
Being a trucker poses several issues. If that’s what you’d like to call them that. One is staying active. There are times where we don’t have much time to spare and need to get to a pickup or delivery by a certain time. Other pickups may give a few hours we can spare. With that time, we have decided that its beneficial to both of us to go to the gym so that we do not become your typical trucker and gain that extra weight. Many Planet Fitness offer parking for truckers, which is perfect since many of the gyms are either right off of the main highways or just off our route by a couple of miles. We both have Black Card memberships which gets us access to the massages and tanning for Jessica. Planet Fitness are kept relatively clean and its nice to not have to always shower at a truck stop. Jessica showed me the Peloton App, which has guided “virtual group” exercises that can be done from our phones. Which is great because we can do stretching, cycling, running, and so much more with the app. Granted, we will gain some weight but if we can turn that into muscle vs fat we will be alright. We have started to eat better, buying more natural foods and cooking when we can in the truck. We have started a subscription to Oats Overnight, which by the way have some pretty good flavors. Just mix the pack with your desired milk, shake and when you wake up, or get done, or start a shift you’ve got a meal. It is packed with of course oats, whey, chia seeds, flaxseeds and other things that are filling as well as keep you regular. Jessica has a subscription to Lady Boss, which caters to women and their needs, plus their flavors are pretty tasty. I have taken a liking to Bucked Up and their protein and pre-workout stuff. So with some small changes with how we are eating and staying active at least 2 or 3 days a week it will help with our moods and keep us with positive vibes.

Outside.
Also, one big piece of all of this is the time spent outside of the truck. We recently had an opportunity to go to a company event for the Highway Diamonds, which is what PRIME calls all of the female drivers. I had heard that people raved about how extravagant and over-the-top these company events are. I convinced Jessica that we should go, since she has been with the company and hasn’t gone to any yet. We got some dress clothes and headed on to the event. All the ladies were given beanies, or caps at sign in, and there was a cocktail hour with a top shelf open bar (you already know I was on my crown and coke) and appetizers of shrimp cocktail, an assortment of cheese and crackers, spinach and cheese puffs, and crab cakes. For the meal that evening we were served filet mignon, mashed potatoes, grilled chicken breast and asparagus with your choice of carrot cake or cheesecake. It was a whole plated ordeal, and it exceeded all my expectations. Working in catering before it was executed perfectly. After the program was over and everyone that was on schedule to speak were done there was a live DJ that was taking requests, here a gain I was also shocked to hear not only country, but rap and r&b (which was refreshing) We had our pictures taken and a few drinks relaxed and then headed out. It was a nice little reception and refresher for us both.

Being the typical cancer that I am, I am always thinking…sometimes overthinking to a fault. But over the past few days I have been thinking about my own personal journey since I left home in 2008 and the things that I have learned leading up to this very moment. It’s still crazy to think that I’m 31 years old because in my mind there ain’t no way in Hell I’m just out here like this making these decisions and things. Lol Every day is a test and I’m just here to overcome. Some things that I have been thinking on have been the wide range of jobs that I have had. You name it, I have probably worked it, perfected it, and then managed to help others to do the same. I guess I never really let go of what my mom told me with my first job. Which was, “get in and learn what you need to do, you can have friends at work but know that when you’re at work its business first, then friendship, because others can and will throw you under the bus if it means that they can get ahead”. Those words have echoed with every job and every position I’ve ever had.

My longest stint with a company was about 13 years, at a company called Brookshire Grocery Company, in Quitman. I started that job at 16 going to my initial interview in white Dickie pants with a white and gold Southpole t-shirt. My interview was at 7am before school, which made me late for band that morning, but I wasn’t complaining. The one interview question that I will never forget was “why do you want to work here?”, me being 16 said, “you want me to be completely honest? I need money to pay my car insurance and gas for my car.” Mr. Harrison said, “Ok so why should I give YOU a job here?” Me being 16 again answered “Well I don’t completely know the answer to that question, but I can tell you that I am a hard worker, I love to be around people, and I will learn whatever I need to learn.” I guess he liked that answer because I left with a job. Haha, I began that journey as a Courtesy Clerk (sacker), Cashier, Fuel Clerk, Day Stocker, Night Stocker, Office Cashier, and Store Trainer. I transferred to Magnolia, Arkansas for my first year in College at Southern Arkansas University, hated it, so I moved back home and transferred to Tyler Junior College. Transferred to Brookshires in Flint and heard that the company was opening a new concept dubbed FRESH by Brookshires like Whole Foods and Central Market. I applied, got a position as cashier/fuel clerk. Moved up to Font End Manager/Office Cashier and helped with catering. Later I transferred to the Catering department and became a Catering Specialist, then shortly after becoming the Catering Manager. This included taking orders, consulting guests on their events, helping prep, deliver, serve, and work for many events. This included weddings, luncheons, breakfasts, family gatherings, you name it, we did it. After working in that capacity, I was chosen to be the manager over the new Grill+Patio operation, which was a sweet gig. It didn’t pay nearly what it should have, but I was like 23 so I wasn’t too worried. I oversaw front of house (service and dining area) as well as back of house (the kitchen). My duties included booking bands for every Friday and Saturday, as well as Karaoke on Thursdays, and entertainment for special events, ordering on premise alcohol which included wine, wine mixed drinks, kegs, bottles, and cans (I had to gauge what was selling every week and change beers with the menu/seasons), I think at one point in time we had about 30 different can/bottled beers, 4 beers on tap and about 10 different wines that we served. We had a lunch/dinner menu which was every day and a breakfast menu that was served only on the weekends. I wanted to make sure that everyone was having a good time while on the patio, I took it upon myself to make a playlist of “non-grocery store songs” and played them on the patio so people wouldn’t feel as if they are still at a grocery store. It was a major hit until I left. All in all, this company helped me learn a lot of what to do and what not to do professionally, and how to work with all kinds of people. I even made some lifelong friends out of the deal (customers and co-workers alike).

If you know anything about me, one thing is that I’ve always had more than one job going. Lol while working at FRESH I was also working at Subway for about a year. I loved it because I was getting to work with people and food, but mainly for my free sub meal and cookie for lunch haha

After subway, another 2^nd job that I acquired was working for a non-profit as a Youth Prevention Specialist. I shortened my weeks at FRESH to only the weekends and worked Monday – Friday at the non-profit. I thought I had found the job of my dreams. Good money, got to dress up, and I got to speak with high school kids all around East Texas about the effects of drugs and alcohol as well as life skills. You couldn’t tell me nothing. I loved every minute of it, having psychology/sociology as a major in college I just knew that I had found the career that I was going to retire in. I worked there for a couple of years, got to go to some awesome trainings by the State of Texas, and did a lot of traveling to workshops and conventions. I ended up leaving there and going back to FRESH, later to come back to the non-profit to work as a Prevention Specialist again in the same department later to become the Program Manager over the program I had previously worked in. I quickly figured out that a non-profit can be run into the ground and lose very qualified people due to upper management.

After leaving the non-profit I decided to put in at one of the local behavioral hospitals. Which happened to be Magnolia Behavioral Health Hospital. I did know several people that already worked there that put in some good words for me. I had the opportunity to work in the Admissions Department, which I can tell you had its good and bad days. Lol I worked 12-hour shifts rotating 4 days on and 3 days off/3 days on and 4 days off. I loved it. It was my co-worker and myself and the admit nurses that checked patients in and out of the hospital. I will say, I have compassion for people with mental illness, or those that struggle with addiction. We dealt with simple cases, where people were just needed to detox to people eating and/or throwing poop around, to overly aggressive people, to others that thought we were the devil reincarnated. It was probably the most random job I’ve ever had. I learned insurance billing, scheduling, as well as how to admit patients. The way that this journey ended was a sour one. I was at 6-Flags celebrating my birthday with some friends, when I get a phone call from one of the marketers telling me that the hospital had been shut down, and all the residents had been relocated. Being in admissions, and the only ones that answered the phone, they kept us on for a couple more weeks 12-hour shifts answering the phones to let people know that the hospital was closed. It was the weirdest thing to be in a behavioral health hospital that’s EMPTY with just you and maintenance in the building. Luckily, I had the wifi password and could bring my laptop, because Netflix it was on those days. Once they decided to finally let the admin people go, I was in a tough place without a job, but luckily one of my friends was working at a local beer distributor and was able to get me a job there as a merchandiser.

Lord I just have to say that this job was one that I don’t wish on anyone unless you just like to throw 30 packs around for 12+ hours a day. All in all, I was a job, and it did what it needed to do and that was allow me to pay my bills. As a merchandiser it was my job to go into stores and stock hot and cold beers. My schedule was a nice Monday – Friday 4am-till basically whenever. I had the Tyler market which had many heavy hitters with Brookshires, Super 1 and Walmart. It was my job to stock the trucks that came into the stores as well as backstock and to rotate product. I helped when and where I could with other routes and was able to gain plenty of overtime every week. The kicker here was when I was sick for a few days actually running fever and the response that I had gotten. After contacting my supervisor, I was told that no one was available to cover my shift and I needed to figure it out. I thought to myself “HA! You got the right one today!” I put in my notice the next week.

Quitting that job led me to Lowe’s, the home décor/hardware giant. I landed the position of CSA IV or Admin Associate for short. In that position I was pretty much left in a small office to count and verify the tills from the previous day, set up, count, and verify new tills for that current day and put them out across the store, order money for the store (daily), filing records and helping cash out large orders. Again, I met some pretty cool people and a couple more lifelong friends there but as with many retail jobs either out of the floor or behind the scenes its just a mess in need of an overhaul. I did have a pretty posh schedule though. I worked Monday – Friday 5am-2pm (I usually stayed a little longer because overtime) though, I am grateful for the knowledge I gained there, I doubt I would go back. Lol corporate wise they do take care of their associates, we were given multiple bonuses throughout the early stages of COVID, as well as appreciations for the various departments. But in the end the stress wasn’t for me.

Upon leaving Lowe’s I was able to score a pretty decent gig as a general manager at a local convenience store named KIM’s. I had thought I hit the jackpot, got to keep my Monday – Friday schedule (so I thought) and my 6am-2pm, but boy was I wrong. My store was more than a convenience store. This thing had a full deli/kitchen, full meat market, produce, a whole frozen section with ice cream and frozen meals, a full out grocery section and then your normal convenience store items. I was delighted because I had already had plenty of retail and retail management under my belt, so this job was going to be a breeze. When I tell you, that this job tested my inner gangsta on the regular, I am not underestimating. From call-ins to, poor upper management, customers that didn’t like me, to associates stealing, and the list goes on and on. But all in all, I genuinely enjoyed the people that I had the opportunity to hire/train and learn from. Plus, I get to have the title of General Manager on my resume, so that’s a plus.

Which brings us to where I am currently. In the truck. It’s taking quite the adjustment because I am, as many of you all know, I am always out and about doing things and getting into stuff. But I think this was a good choice in move. Once all the newness wares off and I am more acclimated to everything, it will be more enjoyable.

But I’ve written this super long post to basically say this; trust the process my friends.  None of my career choices made sense at the time, but I learned something different from each one. I’m sure that this move doesn’t make sense either, but I’m sure there will be some good lessons to come out of it. So no, you don’t have to have things paid off to make a jump in your life, you don’t have to tell a bunch of people about it, you don’t have to have all this money saved up. You just have to have the “want to” and the “will” and you will be able to make what needs to happen, happen. Get out of your head and just do it. Nothings has to make sense as long as you’re learning. Your journey is everchanging and will never look the same as anyone else’s. What you have to do is stop waiting for someone to hand things to you, and making excuses as to why you are “stuck” where you are. I know, I have done it plenty of times. Would you rather be miserable and stuck in a situation that is ultimately make you bitter, or are you going to get up and start doing things to actually benefit you for the long haul?

You are going to make mistakes. You are the master of your fate. Take it by the reigns and ride like hell.

~Ron

Well we had our first meal cooked in the truck with the groceries that we bought before leaving the terminal. We settled on chicken tacos. We have an electric skillet that we use, as to not make a mess of dishes since we are very short on space lol. Most of our ingredients are frozen, because we cant exactly have fresh meat/veggies/herbs on the truck all the time. But here is what we used! Its a little quick 15 min meal that yields enough for dinner and breakfast in the morning if you’d like to scramble a few eggs.

• Sautéed the veggies and corn in the skillet with a little oil
• Added the Chicken with a lil garlic, because garlic goes in everything.
• While that is getting together I went ahead and added the rice, Natures Seasoning , Taco Seasoning to taste and let that cook down with just a little bit of water.
• Once everything is cooked and ready, slap some of the taco mix on your tortilla with some salsa, jalapenos and cheese and eat!

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Living inside of a truck like many of you may guess is pretty tight. With Jessica being a solo driver for going on 2 years now she has/had a bunch of stuff on the truck already, so with us both being on the truck its been and will be a bit of a challenge to stay organized. We both have a bunch of clothes, blankets, cooking stuff/gadgets, food (because we both love to eat, and I love to cook) stuff to keep us occupied, and stuff for Leo, including his food and toys.

Believe it or not there is actually quite a bit of storage and sleep space in a truck. IF you know how to organize that is. This video should give you a good overview of the compartments and what we have in them, now they are pretty packed, but went grocery shopping and planned for a few meals and snacks throughout our days so we aren’t wasting time trying to figure out what we want to eat, when we should be getting ready for bed.

Whew y’all this video is rough, but I’ll get better as I go. lol

Keep the questions coming either on here, fb or shoot me a txt!