If I could pull 1978 John Shepley aside… if I could sit with 1984 John Shepley, talk some sense into 1992 John Shepley, buy a beer for 2004 John Shepley or take a long walk with 2016 John Shepley, I’d only say one thing...
... Work harder.
Easy roads are a mirage. They are a crock of shit. Every shortcut has a toll booth at the end.
Make yourself stronger, John. Push yourself harder, Shep. Put more passion into it, Jumbo. Don’t settle for second best, because second best turns into second place.
I spent too much time praying for breaks instead of creating them. Waiting for doors to open instead of kicking them in. I took the easier route more than I should have... and now I am paying for it. That is why I’m working harder now.
I have one of those fancy trading desks that goes up and down with a switch. I left mine standing and unplugged it. I am standing today because I don’t want to be lying in a bed tomorrow with a stranger wiping my ass.
I’m taking my father-in-law’s advice too, ordering a medium-rare strip today, so I’m not eating gruel in a nursing home later. I never scored a try in my twenties, but I will in my sixties. I finally finished James Joyce's Ulysses this year and maybe I will complete my Twilight Zone marathon.
I am closer to my funeral than my baptism, and I promise you, Chalkheads… I’m going to hit every pothole and keep driving along.
It is the first Friday of September. Go find a football game. Go find a bonfire. Go find a friend.
And like Don Shepley hammered home: “You can judge a man by the way he finishes a job.”
Let's finish strong!
Today is leg day. Push yourself and don’t forget the gusto.
