Today's post on Craigslist

[gotta_mow]

Today I posted the following on my local craigslist (the only place I advertise) I have had 81 visits to my craigslist ad since midnight. "Gotta Mow will NOT be accepting new clients today!! Wanna know why?" My craigslist ad I have also essentially shut down my website so that customers can not go to any of my other pages except my modified front page. I am trying to provoke thoughts here. Ben

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Ben Belhorn
Gotta Mow Lawn Maintenance

[EatingEmoKids]

Lawn care business tips

hey I think thats a good idea.. although may have done it different.. Let us know if this gets you any clients tho! Just as a warning, by changing your site and index page like that for seo reasons you could lose ranking.. although one day shouldnt hurt it but it could... also maybe could have left an email form or address on the front page so that people could still send you emails and contact you.. by tomorrow they may have forgotten all about your site.. on another note.. thats a very nice thing you did for your dad

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[gotta_mow]

Thanks Matt

[Steve]

Hi Ben,

I included your ad here so everyone can see it.

You can include images too either by attaching them or using this code.

Code Sample

[img]http://www.gottamowohio.com/images/052508-craigslist/fathersday.gif[/img] [/quote] I do think what you did was very thought provoking and I am glad you did this. If you can, could you share with us how losing your father has effected your life? I think it would help others really take a moment and reflect on their lives. Here is the image of Ben's dad from his site. __________________ - Subscribe to my Lawn Care Marketing Blog Feed and get daily tips sent to you. Free! Download your Free trial of Gopher Lawn Care Software.

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[musician/lawnman]

Ben,

*I think what you did was beautiful. It was great way to salute your father even in his absence. *
*Fitting that I find this post now as am awake because I can't sleep. *I can't get my father off my mind. *I lost him November 16th, 2006 also to pancriatic cancer. *It's an ugly, vicious, painful way to go & I'm sorry to hear your father suffered the same fate.
*The video you made was great, I'm sorry I have to say I couldn't stand to watch it all, as I could se the same look of pain & weakness in your fathers face that my father wore for his final years.
*I haven't cried in a while, so in a way, I suppose I thank you. *I needed to get that out sooner or later...
God bless.

I miss you dad. *Happy Father's Day.

Chuck Cantasano III
1956-2006

[gotta_mow]

I reverted my site back to normal but the fathers day page lives on here for anyone Fathers day page of Gotta Mow

Ben

[gotta_mow]

*************This is long and perhaps rambling so skip it if you wish, Once I got started I could not stop.*************

Thanks Chuck,
I have not watched the video in a while and then watched it a lot last night.

My dad was/ is my biggest supporter and he was diagnosed with this terrible cancer when he was only 48 years old. I was only 24 when he was diagnosed and did not realize the seriousness of what he had.

In November 1996 my wife (then fiancée) had been engaged for 4 years and just chugging along enjoying life. My dad went in for some tests and it was discovered that he had a rare form of pancreatic cancer. The doctors told him that most likely he would have at best, that Christmas. The doctors performed a surgery called a Whipple, where they cut out most of your insides. He lost 60% of his pancreas, part of his intestines, part of his stomach and some other stuff. He spent several months in the hospital due to the surgery and the complications that arose (sponges left in him and such). I took the time off work and stayed with him at the hospital. Feeding him, giving him baths, and talking to him. We became closer than we ever had been and I really got to know him. I saw how grateful he was to just be alive. The hospital had people come to talk to him regarding an easy win malpractice suit that they were sure he would file. But he didn’t. He truly was happy to be alive 3 months after the doctors told him he would be gone. They felt they had removed all the cancer and they told him if he stayed clean until the 5 year mark he could consider it beaten.

Well Melissa and I quit putting off the marriage and set a date. My dad was my best man. Melissa got pregnant with the first grandson, who became the very best friend to my dad.

Ok getting hard to tell the story.

Short version becomes that we were cheated for loosing my dad so early but also blessed to have him for 10 extra years. He witnessed a marriage, 2 grandsons, me opening my business, closing my business and more. I was at his house the night he died. My step mom was in bed with him and my aunt and I were in the living room. We had a baby monitor set up to listen. I heard him take his last breath and then after waiting had to wake everyone to let them know. I could not sleep so I was awake and just listening.

Being the older of 2 sons I took it upon myself to be strong for the family and with the planning. I did not cry much then and did not seem to mourn on the outside. Though I was devastated inside. I did and still do have temper issues, I now cry easily for the stupidest of things (music can set me off easily)

There have been so many things in the past year that I wanted to talk over with my dad but have not been able to. I try to live each day and make my decisions based on what would make him proud or what he would do.

My dad was seldom seen angry or mad, would always go out of his way to help, and was the most knowledgeable person I have ever know. He often told me that if you have 2 or 3 close friends then you have all you need. I saw during his final days and at the funeral, that my dad in living the life he had lived had the 2 or 3 good friends twenty times over. There were hundreds of people at the funeral and so many of them were his true friends.

[Steve]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Do you think that going through such an experience changes you in positive ways?

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]me opening my business, closing my business and more.

Did you open your business multiple times?

Do you think you push yourself to succeed more now than others that haven't gone through such situations?

Do you enjoy your life more or try to at least?

[gotta_mow]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ June 16 2008,3:27)]Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Do you think that going through such an experience changes you in positive ways?

Did you open your business multiple times?

Do you think you push yourself to succeed more now than others that haven't gone through such situations?

Do you enjoy your life more or try to at least?

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Do you think that going through such an experience changes you in positive ways?

Well it opens your eyes. *I see how short life is and how much of it my dad was cheated out of. *It breaks my heart to see an elderly couple enjoying retirement and think that my dad and stepmom will never get to experience that.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]me opening my business, closing my business and more.

Did you open your business multiple times?

My first business was a one hour photolab with digital imaging center and graphic design center. *I left the police force to open it (I was going to make a million or at least a good living) After stugleing at that for a few yeras we closed down and I went to work for the Ohio Department of Transportation. *Then this year decided to go into business in lawn care part time.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Do you think you push yourself to succeed more now than others that haven't gone through such situations?

Not really, I am more realistic in my expectations and more careful. *I try to work to live not live to work.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Do you enjoy your life more or try to at least?

Yes I do. *I make the most of every day. *Spend time with friends and family, do the things that I want to do. *I don't put off things as I used to. *Dad did not give up when he was given an experation date. *If you look at the video you will see that most of the pictures he is thin and sick, but in none of the pictures is he in bed. *He re,mained active and continued to work and play. *Fighting the pain but enjoying life. *

He taught me until the end.

[Steve]

Ben,

What got you interested in the photo lab? Why did you decide to experiment with that business?