Please read one less stang...

huh?

spanky has been a respected member of this forum since its inception. He came down with terminal cancer a while ago and has been keeping us updated. Unfortunately he seems like he gave us his goodbye on the thread he started.... godspeed

Yes, I read his last post on the 18th. He was a very courageous man.

May the Lord forever hold him and his family in the palms of His hands.

God bless him and his family

May God Bless him and his family in this unfortunate time.

Hey, instead of grieving for spanky, all I have to say is I got something from reading his posts and I thank him for it. The dings on your car, the race you couldn't win, or the car you couldn't have, all mean nothing compared to having your health. We take so much for granted, and are never truely thankfull for what we really have, we are hard-wired to allways want more. When you think about it, our Healthy families, healthy friends, a house or apartment to live in, food to eat, good kids are allways a faint blur in the back of our minds, they are there, just easily forgoten; it allways takes an experience like this to realize what we should be thankfull rather then be upset and angry at what went wrong during our day, or how much life seems to suck. My heart goes out to spanky's family, and if I could tell them anything, I would tell them how spanky helped me apreciate some of the things I have in life a little more then I would have before I red his posts, thanks spanky for not givin up on life and livin it strong up until the end you are a true man of inspiration...

thats exactly what I was thinking. I havent been here that long so I never really got to know the guy, but I started reading that thread and I really felt for him, but was inspired at the same time. Things like that put everything else into perspective. All the little annoying things in life, and even major set-backs seem insignificant when you take into account the fact that you can always be in a worse situation.

There are too many lives with hardly a glow
They're a sorrow to live in an to its bearer a chore
And yet there are lives that shine in the dark
They can brighten the path with that natural spark
They pass on to others some of that glow
And perhaps cheer up some misguided soul
It's up to you to be of that kind
So liven up and let your life shine.

I agree, he was quite an inspiration, especially for me. My family is going through a tough time as well. My dad (49) has stage four cancer which started in his colon (removed with surgery) and spread to his lungs and lymph nodes. Bad prognosis, but he's tough, and you never lose hope of course.

He's having a tough time adjusting to the chemo, his lack of strength, and ability to do things in general. It's even worse that I live in CA and he's in FL.
I'm visiting him right now and we've been doing the things we love. Working on choppers and hot-rods. It's tough to accept for me too. We swapped a clutch master cyclinder on the Pantera (very easy job) and he had to rest. But we just do what makes him happy. We spent today racing around in the Rancheros (70 GT- his, 67 GTA -mine- both very modified rods, the 67 was my first car, which we restored together). I'm only 23, he's only 49. We had a lot of plans for the future, now we have to reasess everything. He just built his dream shop (huge-60x100 20ft ceilings) and got his dream car (the Pantera) six months ago, so we enjoying them as much as possible.
Sorry to hijack the thread, and ramble on, but reading that just made me emotional. I tried not to cry earlier when we were running side by side in the Ranches (I actually chose my 67 when I was 14 because he had his 70 and I wanted to be like him), reading this post just kinda broke the dam.

You didn't break the thread at all. I've lost both my parents and several friends. I understand tears.

Mach428 said:

Hey, instead of grieving for spanky, all I have to say is I got something from reading his posts and I thank him for it. The dings on your car, the race you couldn't win, or the car you couldn't have, all mean nothing compared to having your health. We take so much for granted, and are never truely thankfull for what we really have, we are hard-wired to allways want more. When you think about it, our Healthy families, healthy friends, a house or apartment to live in, food to eat, good kids are allways a faint blur in the back of our minds, they are there, just easily forgoten; it allways takes an experience like this to realize what we should be thankfull rather then be upset and angry at what went wrong during our day, or how much life seems to suck. My heart goes out to spanky's family, and if I could tell them anything, I would tell them how spanky helped me apreciate some of the things I have in life a little more then I would have before I red his posts, thanks spanky for not givin up on life and livin it strong up until the end you are a true man of inspiration...

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Very well said . We think about days like today and say we won't take it for granted then the next day we do, but reading threads like this and hearing about things like this and seeing it makes me appreciate life just a little more everyday and know that were here right now, but could be gone tomorrow.
i teared up a few times reading about spanky and how could you not. He sound like he is one out of the few great people here left in this world and its hurt knwing we might not only lose one more mustang enthusiast but also lose a great person.