An Unexpected Milestone 14,610 Days in the Making...

14,610 days...350,640 hours...21,038,400 minutes...1,262,304,000 seconds; it all adds up to 40 years. On a cold winter morning in my hometown of Chicago, at 2:24AM on this day in history...I somehow showed up in the world. Now a few people are grateful for me being here, a lot of people pretty much hate me for being here; and a select group if individuals pretty much told me to my face that they wished I was dead (too bad, I'm still here).

I'd never thought that I would be able to get to age 40; let alone 30 or even 20 for that matter. After all the twists and turns; joys and sorrows...even with what I know now, I'm very grateful for making it to this milestone.

But for me to make it to this milestone, I had to look back at all my successes (few) and failures (many). And what I've learned is that I wouldn't be me if I didn't go through the things I went through. Like me playing MLK in a play in fourth grade, when my drama teacher said I had the potential to be great. Like surviving my one and only suicide attempt on my sixteenth birthday when I felt useless and alone...but coming out better for it. Or me being the voice of my Alma mater as the PA Announcer for home games (and loved every minute of it), or working (still to this day) as and umpire and referee for high school and college games. But my love of music allowed me to be a DJ working a crap-load of parties, weddings, skating rinks, and eventually on radio (I would love to get back to doing that).

I also had to appreciate to the fact that I've survived being homeless as a child, in my late 20s; or even worse, my mid 30s...and in Chicago nonetheless. That chapter in my life gained so many lessons and skills that I've become a better person now than I was before; it also made me appreciate the simple things that I've taken for granted in the past.

So as I open a new chapter of my life...the 40s, mind you; I just want to thank all the people who believed in me and knew that I had the potential of doing good (and you know who you are). I also want to apologize to the people that I've hurt along the way and know that things did happened and that we, you or myself can't change that, but I hope somewhere along the line that we can forgive each other. Finally, I want to thank my two amazing best friends and my equally amazing fiancé for putting up with me, helping me and always having my back; I love you all.

So as I close my chapters in my 30s, I look forward to the next evolution of JB. I embrace the challenges and possibilities that will come my way; and I'll continue to keep on keeping on, it's what I do.

DJ THREAT'S 10-PLAY

Last 10 songs I heard before my B-Day

Time For Letting Go (1990) - Jude Cole
Cowboy (1999) - Kid Rock
Gotta Get Thru This (2002) - Daniel Bedingfield
Night Fever (1977) - Bee Gees
Five O'clock World (1966) - The Vogues
Dance Hall Days (1983) - Wang Chung
Round Here (2004) - George Michael (RIP)
Burning Down The House (2000) - Tom Jones feat. The Cardigans
Falling Down (2007) - Duran Duran
Don't Shed A Tear (1987) - Paul Carrack

BONUSPLAY: Hands To Heaven (1988) - Breathe (My All-Time Favorite)

LIFE LESSON

#1: Don't Kiss Ass...Kick Ass!!