Now a Word From Trucker Rick

Good day my fellow non-chewers and more specifically, the January 08 Lipwads.

Today is October 15th. Two years ago I flung the can out the window of the old Peterbilt!
I white-knuckled it for a couple of weeks before finding this site. The rest (as they say) is history!

I want to send my THANKS TO EVERYBODY!! We’ve all felt that nobody knew what we were going through and even those fellow chewers that had quit weren’t as “bad” as we were. We each thought we were “Special!”

I admit, I felt the same way but in my case it was true. I was a member of M.A.D.

Mal-adjusted,
Anti-social and
Damn mean

It seemed that I had spent my whole life abusing my body, tempting fate and driving away anyone and everyone who ever cared about me.

Gee, Truckerick. Show me your credentials…

Not in exact order but here’s a few….

1. Never was a team player and when I did, I didn’t like it.
2. Against everyone’s wishes, I went in the Army.
3. Against everyone’s wishes, married a woman 10 years my senior with a kid.
4. Against everyone’s wishes, got out of the Army
5. Against everyone’s wishes, drank alcohol to excess.
6. Against everyone’s wishes, didn’t use the G.I. Bill and go to school.
7. Against everyone’s wishes, bought a truck and became a long-haul trucker.
8. Against everyone’s wishes, hung out with a bike club known as 1%ers.
9. Against everyone’s wishes, I gambled away my life’s savings and my inheritance
10. Against everyone’s wishes, rode the elevator to the bottom floor. Lost my truck, lost my job, lost my freedom and lost my family.
10. Against everyone’s wishes, I continued to chew.

After incarceration, alcohol treatment and a “spiritual” awakening, I went through a period that was relatively successful. A former acquaintance in the trucking industry hired me. I went back to school, re-married, mended fences where necessary and avoided old friends and old places. Through it all, I continued to chew. So, while I quit or modified other behaviors, Copenhagen was in my pocket the whole time. Healthy as a horse through it all.

One day, (about two and a half years ago) a fellow driver and someone who had shared many of the same experiences as I, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma and it had metastasized, which means that it had spread throughout his body. Diagnosed in June. Dead by January. I saw him almost daily throughout the whole ordeal. One day, a big strapping, kick your ass, no bull-shit kind of guy, within weeks, reduced to a shell of what he once was right before my eyes. The impact was made, the die cast and by October, the time had come. “I quit!” Tom was not yet dead but it was only a matter of time. Hale and Hearty to the end! Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! sort of loses its meaning when you can’t get out of bed and your bones are so brittle that just turning over may fracture a rib. No, he did not go out in a blaze of glory. It was a pitiful, heart wrenching, painful death with me and a couple others present.

I quit, not because of Tom but because I saw (and knew to be true) what tobacco can and will eventually do to even the toughest son-of-bitch on the block.

I didn’t write a HOF speech because frankly, at 100 days, I was still climbing the walls and didn’t feel that it would be much of an inspiration to anybody when I was still in danger of caving. I decided to wait till I had a year under my belt and as many of you have heard me repeat the old Army term that you are still a “cherry” until you’ve completed a full cycle or in other words, a full year. After a year, I felt pretty good about my ability to stay quit but with my humongous, over-sized ego, I knew there was still a chance of getting pissed off at the world and say f**k it!

So, here I am at two years basically writing a HOF speech. I have liver disease. It’s almost a relief.
Now I can go back to doing whatever I want because you got to die from something, right? Well, that’s not the way I see it. If anything, I’m going to work even harder at spreading the word and working on other areas in my life that are in dire need of a tune-up.

It’s not a death sentence but it’s a damn good reason to start looking at a few things and setting them right. I can see the end of the tunnel.

“The thing to do, my friends, is to admit to your fate with Christian resignation and live bravely until your appointed time.”

As a post script and some advice to future people who take the time to write an HOF speech,

I discovered in the early days that it gave me a huge boost just to have someone mention my name. “Hang in there, TR!” “You can do it Truckerick!” Stuff like that. I highly encourage you all to do the same thing with people you identify with or those that just need a word of encouragement for any number of reasons. I also say to my drivers, “I can’t drive all these trucks!” That means that it takes all of us to do our part with support, advice and outreach. Not I, nor anyone else, can do it all. Those listed below are a few of the many that helped me get to this point.

A few of my “special” people:

WildWildBil – First one to welcome me to the site and kept me in line from time-to-time with a well placed WTF? when I was haranguing some poor soul for God-knows-what!

Flavious and the rest of the Moderators – For allowing me to rage beyond what is considered acceptable decorum for the site. (I was only banned once!)

KillerAttorney  His Best Friend Sir Dipnomore – For the many hours occupying my time with words of wisdom mixed with mindless drivel combined with High school (or maybe) grade school level antics.

All the guys I’ve picked on! – This is a long list. I especially like the guy who called me a “Cyber Bully!” BWAHAHAHAHA!

RC – He’s a turd! He’s also a great guy that seems to have a sixth sense and a sense of humor like my own! He IS a brother from another mother!

Eutychus  SerenityMan – I gave these guys so much crap because they were exactly what I aspire to be. (when I grow up.) Nuff said.

Larson1 – Just seemed like an interesting guy trying to quit. I loved doing the “Larson Report.”

Copper – Here’s another guy that was a lot of fun! We played back and forth and I spent a lot of time trying to come up with some Police put-downs but he always took it well and fired right back with some funny stuff. A good time was had by all!

Fitbutstupid – This guy cracked me up from the first time he signed on. Also kept me entertained for the first 30 days. (His group is a month behind mine) I made up all kinds of stuff and had them sailing the seven seas in my mind’s eye.

Muddler – The first guy to call me. Left an impression. Thanks buddy!!!

Kojak – Funny guy who can roll with the punches. Whenever I think of Texas, Kojak comes running across the stage naked waving the Texas State flag. What a sight! (Must be an Aggie thing)

Stevethebuilder – As far as I’m concerned, this is the Captain of the team! Balls-to-the-wall-all-American-quitter! A true Hero of mine on many levels. I know!

Ohioman1972 – For whatever reason this guy could see right through me or at least suspected there was more than met the eye. Thanks man!

Imskratty – This guy was a huge inspiration. A master manipulator who could start something, then stand back and watch the fun!

Old Timers – Penguin, thoughtful and level headed. Took the time to explain some things, still gets on the live chat and participates. We met in person. A true gentleman and someone to listen to. Don’t bury his comments, bump them forward!

The Oct. 06 Group – Taught me not to mess with old timers! HAHAHAHA!

Here’s a few more. Please don’t get offended if I leave you out. (in fact, you should be grateful because that means we didn’t do too much sparring with one another.)

Cagey, Farley, Frank, ChewMonkey, Chewless, ChewlessJim, Wolik, Soarwing, Thumbs2, Pojo, IndyCJ, Bill57, Bonesaw, Nevermore, Willitaway, Holden, Wyoming4life, CWC, Woody, VJ, Bear, Sioux, Moody, Donnie, Professor, Steppinup the list goes on and on!

Last but not least all the January 08 Group better known as the Lipwads!

Those that are still posting, are of course, those that are still quit. There may be others that are not posting who are quit as well. For me, those that continue to post are the ones who keep this thing alive. So, like it or not Ladies  Gentlemen, I am here to stay! Experience has taught me, this thing works, if you work it. Okay Ravens, it’s time to fire up the ol’ Pete and cruise the newer groups to see what we can stir up!

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member truckerick