A Follow-Up On The $4.99 That Changed My Life

Earlier this year, while I was driving from Jacksonville to Miami to see my Cubs open the 2018 Baseball season up against the Marlins, I took a shot and sent Joel Denver an e-mail to see if I he had a minute to chat. As most of you know, Joel responds quickly -- decisively -- and, before I knew it, I was pitching him an idea for me to write a weekly article focusing on how to live life through personal tragedy.

Pulled over on 95 South on my way to Miami to catch my Cubs! I had just finished speaking with Joel Denver about writing this article, #IBelieveInMiracles!

This is something I've been entrenched in as I have been battling late-stage cancer for the last five years. Although I have a firsthand understanding of how to navigate this, I didn't really know what I was getting into -- nor did I totally understand what kind of response, if any, I'd receive from sharing my thoughts.

This is week #8 for me writing this weekly column. So, for the last couple of months, I've been going through a weekly process of "How do I connect? What do I say? Is it making a difference? Does anyone care?"

Last week, I wrote an article entitled $4.99 Taught Me How to Fight Cancer!. The premise of this article was that, at a young age, my father started to teach me how to face adversity head on and -- instead of fixing problems for me -- he shared options...and then taking action was up to me.

A few individuals commented, and several asked me questions based on the following paragraph from last week's article:

"I was in an odd place. I wanted and hoped we could get them [a pair of Nike shoes that we couldn't totally afford], but ( didn't want my Dad to feel bad. You see, I knew that when my Dad said, 'We have $20' ... that's what he meant! He wasn't being a jerk, trying to teach me a lesson, or being selfish; all he truly had was $20." (The shoes were $24.99.)

Several friends, and a couple individuals I've never communicated with prior to the writing of this article, reached out to ask if I felt that my father was intentionally trying to teach me a lesson. After being asked this question from many different angles and thinking through my answer, I have to say -- no! I think he truly only had $20, and based on his life of being an immigrant from Ireland and one of 12 siblings, there were times where he simply couldn't have what he wanted.

Thinking through the above also made me re-process the car ride to Herman Sporting Goods with my dad; it made rethink and relive it like it just happened.

That next Tuesday night, Dad came home at 4:30p, and he said to me, "After supper, we'll go get your shoes!" As we drove to six-corners, where Herman's Sporting Goods was, Dad was quiet and didn't say much, the one thing he said was, "We have $20!"

I now believe he was quiet because he was contemplating the fact that the $20 he was about to take out of his wallet and spend on those shoes for me was much more than I even knew it was. I think he looked at that money differently than I did, and although he agreed to buy me those low-top canvas Nike's with the light blue swish, he knew what $20 meant and would have just as easily put it in the bank just in case there was an emergency.

The other question that surfaced several times was, "Did you eventually buy the shoes?" I did buy them; I earned the necessary money that went along with the $20 my Dad had in order to purchase the Nike's. I'll even take it one step further. I not only bought them, I cherished them, kept em' clean, protected them, never wore them in the snow, and wore em' out until my toes busted out of them. I cherished those shoes!

As I get older and have been diagnosed with cancer, this obstacle has forced me to appreciate the lessons I've learned that didn't hurt so much! It has made me cherish this life, because I've had to fight for it! Life is the greatest gift ever given ... cherish it now!

Earlier this year, when I was finally able to take a treatment break, I didn't hesitate and flew to Maui and hiked a bit of The Road to Hana.

If life has thrown you a curve-ball, or if you are struggling at life in this very moment for whatever reason, reach inside or reach out; I'm here to help you navigate your own survival!

Reach out with comments, ideas, or your stories and photos to John Thomas:
Cell: (585) 469-0738 || JT@AllAccess.com
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