Green to the metal shaping world

[JUS*TINS219]

What's going on everyone? I'm Justin from NWI (originally from the South Side of Chicago) I have been in the body shop world since I was 15 and I am 41 now. (Damn getting old and I can feel it) I have loved cars since around the age of 6 or so and now it's more of a love/hate sometimes. -you all know what I mean-. I've worked at dealerships,mom and pop shops and have had my own shop. I started to get burned out by the collision industry not to mention bored,but 2 years ago my life was turned upside down. I was having some pain in my back and neck. (Much much more than usual) I went to the ER and wham doctor says Justin you have a broken neck. So life just stopped. I was in the hospital for 3 months had 2 surgeries and came out with a titanium spine and couldn't move my neck at all. During my break (no pun) I discovered metal shaping. I knew what it was but now I really started to get the whole concept of it . I was hooked. Big problem though... I just broke my neck and had to be layed up for the unforeseeable future. I had nothing but time, so there it began. I packed as much info into my composition notebooks as I could. After a year of reading and writing I decided to try and go back to work. Before my stint in the hospital I had just started working for a small up and coming Hot Rod shop. Absolutely love it there and Don and Gail could not be more supportive and understanding of my situation. So here I am trying to figure it out and I think the people and information on ALLMETALSHAPING will benefit me tremendously. Thanks -Justin Ryan