Freedom can still be found for the youth of today. Stories of a better America in a forgotten era do exist. Choosing a CDL over an MBA is contrary to the guidance counselors advice. It remains one of last bastions of personal freedom while earning a living. Yet, what will be required of you will easily shy away the weak majority of your culture. Trade the water cooler and business attire for a ball cap and gloves. America stays alive from the efforts of those of us who give what most won’t, and we’re compensated according to our worth. The risk is high and the mistakes can be costly, but the lifestyle of past generations is within grasp. Anyone looking for a handout or sympathy for their excuses need not apply. We’re an industry that rewards personal achievement and self determination. Don’t expect a journeyman salary until you’ve earned your miles. The first few years of proving yourself by churning long and safe miles will sculpt a solid resume for future financial reward. Your friends and family may not understand and thats okay. A life out on the road will pose it own set of unique challenges that many wouldn’t be able to endure. Weeks or months alone with your thoughts can often be a respite from our over saturated culture of mass interaction. Welcome the venture of inflection and embrace it, better yourself each day and absorb it. We’re all just passing through for our relatively short time here, so it’s important to build a legacy with a solid game plan to ensure our security on the back nine of life. The promise of travel and cultural immersion are a constant. A solution to get out of your small town and pass through most of the other ones will be your reality. Trucking can be quite a selfless endeavor, missing out on significant occasions so you can provide memorable vacations for your family. Success in this industry will be found on a spectrum, often the honor of longevity in a company can be prohibitive to your long term success. If your skill set requires you to climb another ladder, be prepared to jump. You can’t get your years back and being afraid to adapt and accept a higher responsibility will be the glass ceiling staring back at you. Traverse the country that was founded and built by our ancestors who dared to dream of a better life that was beyond what the eye could see. Be the next link in that chain and keep America the great country we are. That is, if you believe you have what it takes. 

I enjoy empty spaces, the time alone to reflect. Running though the paces, rarely reaching out to connect. 
Life on the road can surely get taxing; mind, body and soul. 
Sunrises and sunsets I claimed for my own, every storm and starry night. 
Table for one, I’ll sit at the bar, no need to crowd your space. 
Everyday pleasantries shared in smiles, nods and waves. Fellow highwaymen alike, who know no other life. 
Your white collars and degrees will garner you high praise, but climb on board this rig to get and get an education on long days. 
Coast to coast I’ve travelled, hauling everything in high demand. It better arrive on-time you say, or there’ll be hell to pay. 
I’ve missed out on being with family probably more than I’ll ever know. The toll it takes hits hardest on the ones I’ve left at home. 
Hours spent in silence, churning miles into the night. Respite from the rush hour, that twice daily fight. 
A wise man gains wisdom in solitude, while a fool never thinks to listen. The voice of truth screams loudest, when all else is silent. 
It’s a privilege to even have this life, I’ve known others who’ve never had a chance. Being born on free soil was simply a matter of happenstance. 
So if you see my passing through your town, be sure to smile and wave. I’m probably bringing the goods you so very badly crave. 

College couple discussing debt, term papers and flawed politics on my left. 
Old couple who decided not to eat dinner at home, stare daggers at a loud and profane patron 2 stools down, discussing flawed politics on my right. 

I keep the middle seat warm, staring at a silent sports loop, glass of Red Label down, cynical about all politics. 
A man without a country. Neither young nor old. The precipice of life’s decisions cast upon a 30 something. Carpe Diem is the motto on mental loop. Time is an evil bitch that can leave us with fond memories of achievement or all the reasons why we couldn’t. 
Only time will tell. 

Abstinent consciousness prohibits the depths of creativity from ascending to the surface. Unlocking true greatness requires the courage found in heroic doses of exploration. Unhinge what you fear and walk the path alone. Allow the Devine to mold you into what the cosmos has seeded deep in all of us, yet so few see to fruition. 

If your coworkers are idiots, you’ve settled for a career that can be done by idiots. If you desire more in life, utilize your intellect and step up your game. Free your mind of prioritizing the security of your job above the reward earned through risk. The only reason we live in the US is because our ancestors weren’t afraid to get on a boat. Quit expecting to get ahead while treading water in the mail room. Lindbergh took to the sky, Easy E got in the booth and JK Rowling kept writing. Happiness is found in the pursuit. Choose a vehicle that suits your capabilities, rip down the rear view mirror and go hammer down. May the mistakes you make serve as lessons of your legacy.

Maybe drink a little less of the piss Kool-Aid your company is spewing and come up with your own recipie for career success. 

I had removed all the fallen leaves from my front yard. It looked spectacular. Upon returning home that windy evening, most of my hard work was unrecognizable due to having shitty neighbors that chose not to rid their own yards of leaves to my left and right. Lesson learned, be careful who you surround yourself with. Their attitudes, goals and standards will ultimately affect you.

The clarity of a rock bottom purge is beneficial to all, yet feared and avoided by most. One who finds themselves there time and time again has yet to listen to what is being taught. 

I saw a bald eagle soaring the freedom skies of northern Michigan today. It was a picturesque moment that would’ve made Bob Ross pause on the canvas to wipe a single tear. I nodded and the eagle winked. He flew overhead for but a short time, soon we’d parted ways to the tune of Whiz Khalifa. Veterans Day comes once a year, but I hope it’s not that long before I see you again. May your searing screeches on high remind us that freedom is not free, but beers at the bar tonight better be. A poetic salute to my brethren of all branches on this day.

If what you’re against defines you, you need a better purpose. Be known by others for what you stand for and believe in. Don’t be the weakling that whines about what the majority would agree to be appalling. Your time should be consumed with the pursuant endeavor of carving a creative and positive path that others can latch onto, not an echo chamber common negative spew for the sake of making your opinion known.