THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

A Bonus Life

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Feeling lucky today for some unknown reason. Maybe it’s just being relaxed or comfortable on this day with not much planned. Perhaps it was the laughter with best friends last night. Or a half-decent night’s sleep.

I felt like I was losing my grip and control of some things. I was stressed out for a few weeks, but at least I feel that I’ve got the reins again. Or at least in control of the things within my reach.

Life goes in such wild cycles. Sometimes it just feels like you’re peddling uphill for endless miles. This makes me think of a close friend who has months of rehab ahead of him till we can think about walking the streets of Ellicott City again. But I will get him up and down Main Street again, his hometown.

If you have your health be glad you can still peddle uphill, but always keep your eyes open for what is around the corner. Photo by Mike Hartley

Life and its priorities and effects take twists and turn none of us see coming. An illness/surgery or maybe the passing of someone unexpectedly. A car accident. A job loss, a tragedy at home like a fire or flood. For many, these things sometimes become life-altering and life-changing. People with limited resources might not be able to recover from a flood if they didn’t have insurance. Surgeries can alter people’s abilities in life.

We take so much for granted and get so used to the status quo of life proceeding effortlessly. Then bang, then another bang. But you have to bounce back each and every time. Because each setback teaches you special things you didn’t look at before. Gives you new apprecations, and can make life and certain people even more important.

You learn a lot about yourself and about others when facing challenges.


Random Thoughts of the Day

  • I find it ironic that some of the possessions that are extremely important to me, some might look at as junk.
  • Did you ever get so tired that you fell asleep in the middle of a sentence?
  • Don’t wait too late in life to start checking if you have your priorities in the proper order.
  • I miss the smell of salt air and Thrashers fries or Fisher’s caramel aroma as you walk by on the boardwalk.
  • If you do things the way you think your parents would even when they are no longer around you are probably making the right decisions.
  • A lot of people will be counting down this weekend. My countdown begins just after midnight on Saturday and the ball drops and it’s warm enough to put the top down, point the car east, and ride to the ocean.

Author: Mike Hartley

With a lifetime and a half in the Newspaper industry I'm preparing for my retirement career as an Artist, Writer, Photographer and Video content provider. I'm a proud father of two wonderful children and I'm still married to the first girl I fell in love with and probably only one that would have me.

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