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Guest Post by Brad Shorr

One thing about traveling and getting out in the world - it gives you a healthy dose of humility. Last week we were traveling in Boston and one Saturday we took a walk through Harvard Square. Very impressive and very humbling. The buildings looked smarter than I do, to say nothing of the people.

I was blown away by the Harvard Book Store. As I perused the history section, it quickly became obvious I wasn’t browsing through the dumbed down, thinly populated shelves of my suburban, strip mall Borders.

A couple young ladies were browsing nearby - unassuming gals who, in my neighborhood Borders, would have easily passed for hair dressers from the beauty salon next door. But then I heard one of them whisper to the other, “Can you believe I only have one semester of Greek? I’ll finally be able to concentrate on my dissertation.” Much giggling ensued. Funny stuff, I guess, if your IQ is 170.

Me? All I could think about was finding a sports bar to watch the college football games.

After traipsing around the Square, we finally found a bar. It boasted two giant plasma TV’s, but one was off and the other was tuned in to the Weather Channel or something along those lines. You’d never see that in Chicago on a Saturday afternoon.

More strangeness: the place was nearly empty. A couple at one end of the bar was engaged in a deep conversation over a nice chardonnay. A thirty-something man at the other end was engrossed in a thick,- old book (probably written in Greek).

Finally, I asked the bartender if the TVs worked. They did. I asked him if we could watch a college football game and he gave me an odd look, as if to say, That’s weird. Wouldn’t you rather watch “Jeopardy” reruns? … Is it dumb to waste time watching football when I could be studying Aristotle?

… It reminds of my college days. Just when you think you’re smart, you find out you aren’t. I attended Northwestern University. A pretty fine school (the Harvard of the Midwest, as it is sometimes called), and we knew it.

My junior year I was an officer of my fraternity. My fraternity brothers and I were feeling pretty good about ourselves - great school, high GPA’s, members of a fraternity with a national reputation for academic excellence, leaders of the upward march of humanity. Yep, there we were. Future captains of industry.

Until we started hanging around with our fraternity brethren from the University of Chicago. U of C - ever hear of it? Arguably a school to make even Harvard look like an also ran. After a few months rubbing elbows with these studious gentlemen, we began to feel, well, stupid.

Once, in a Hyde Park drinking establishment, one of us commented on how brilliant they were compared to us Northwestern folk. They laughed and laughed. “What’s so funny?” we asked. They said, “Around here, we’re the dumb ones. Do you think serious U of C students would have anything to do with a fraternity? We’re idiots.”

That was a chilling revelation. It taught us a few things. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t assume you have all the answers. Don’t try to impress somebody by throwing your credentials on the table - they might have a pair of aces to beat your kings.

How about you? Did you ever bump into somebody who humbled you intellectually? Was it a character builder, or a character … hmm … um … what’s the opposite of “builder”?

About Brad Shorr
Brad Shorr lives in the Chicago area, and is president of WordSell, Inc. He helps organizations strengthen their online business presence with business blogs and compelling web content.

Brad writes extensively on his own and on many other blogs, mainly about writing, online marketing, entrepreneurship, and sales and business humor.

Expanding…

Expanding…

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[Fair Warning: Although the Middle Zone is, and always will be, G-Rated, I should still warn you; this post contains elements of a rather, um, manly nature. It's about an incident that occurred in a men's room. I'm just sayin'.]

It has been said, no doubt ad nauseum, that those who ignore the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them. The good news, though, is that most of the time, when we make mistakes they aren’t all that big a deal, you know?

For instance, making a right instead of a left on the way to the store, forgetting to feed the cat - or even wearing white after Labor Day - well, you have to admit those are pretty innocuous. And in the long run, they simply don’t matter a whole heck of a lot. (Although wearing white after Labor Day may take a bit longer to get over.)

On the other hand, that time you forgot your spouse’s birthday, accidentally ran into that major client’s car in the parking lot, or when boarding a plane you asked the flight steward to hang up your “light jacket” and they thought you said “hijack”; well, stuff like that can get a little dicey, if ya get my meanin’.

One thing’s for certain, though; those are the kind of mistakes you’d better learn from the first time! Which brings us to the subject of today’s post… cell phone use and/or abuse.

Hey, all I can say is, whatever happens, don’t do this! Just sayin’.

My First Cell Phone

I got my first cell phone back in 2001. (Yes, I’m a slow adapter. So what’s your point?) Oh, it wasn’t because I really wanted to join the already vast hordes of the “instantly connected”, believe me. It was more like an emergency use thing, you know?

However, now that I had one hangin’ on my belt, I figured I might as well use it. So I decided to finally throw caution to the winds and give it a try. The honor of being the first victim recipient (after than Mrs. MZM, of course) would go to a good friend of mine whom I knew wouldn’t mind a getting a totally pointless call from me.

Now at the time, I was working in a rather cramped office building; one of those businesses you’ll find crammed into a somewhat dilapidated warehouse-like building. (It wasn’t the best place I’ve ever worked, but I’d been unemployed for awhile, and hey, it was a job!)

My first problem was finding a private spot to make the call. Like I said, we were crammed in there pretty tightly, so there wasn’t anywhere except the men’s room that had even a semblance of privacy. The only problem with that was, well, you know.

After wandering around the office for a while, though, I concluded there was simply no good spot available in the building. With no options inside, I did the next most obvious thing and headed out the front door. Alas, no joy there either. Unfortunately, our building happened to be right next to a major freeway, and the noise level was only slightly less than that of a jet airliner taking off.

The Echo Chamber

Finally, I gave up and said to myself, OK; the men’s room it is, and headed that way.

First thing, of course, was to make sure I was alone. Lesse now… nope; no feet showing under any of the stall doors. Although I felt like a first-class idiot, it had to be done. OK; so far, so good. Y’all still with me?

The other problem with using this particular location is the fact that every surface in the place is like it’s, well, specifically intended to reflect and magnify sound. To tell you the truth, it’s kinda embarrassing, really. If you walk in with, say, hard soled shoes on, the resulting multiple echoes always make it sound like an army came in the door with you. It’s distracting, to say the least.

Anyway, having ascertained the coast was clear, I pulled out my (sound of scream) cell phone and punched the speed dial. (Hah! Gotcha, didn’t I?) Wonder of wonders, it worked perfectly! Within moments, I was speaking with my friend.

Naturally, I didn’t mention my, er, current location. Yeah, I know; it’s not like cooties could somehow reach through the airwaves and, you know, get him or anything. But I’m guessin’ some folks are kinda weird about that sort of thing, so I sorta figured I’d keep that little factoid to myself.

Bad Habits

Unfortunately, the conversation went on… and on… and on… and I was dismayed to find that I suddenly had, you know, the urge.

Anyway, even that would have been no big deal (and he’d never have been the wiser) except for the fact that (and I promise, it was entirely out of habit) when I was finished, I reached up easy as you please and, well, flushed the danged thing! (sound of EXTREMELY LOUD WHOOSHING NOISES)

When it was over, I could clearly hear the stunned silence on the other end of the line.

My first inclination was to hit the “off” button. But after a moment’s thought I decided not to, figuring it would sound like I’d accidentally flushed the phone. Then, I thought about faking those hissing noises you’d hear when the connection starts to break up. Alas, by then several seconds had passed and I figured the damage was already done.

Finally, I hit upon the only solution possible, considering the, er, circumstances: Once the noise died down, I just picked up the conversation again as if nothing had happened.

Although I know he knew what had happened, my friend kindly played along. (What a pal!) And to this day, we’ve never spoken of “the incident”. But still; I knew he knew, you know?

Lessons Learned

I have to admit; that’s one lesson I’ll never forget! So what the heck; I’ll pass that one, and perhaps a couple more, on to you regarding cell phone use and abuse:

• Make the effort to find a quiet spot (preferably with little or no echo). It may take a while, but believe me, it’ll be worth it!

• Be aware of any background noises. Although you may not notice it, that jackhammer in the background may completely cover up that stock tip you’re tryin’ to pass along.

• While on the phone, use your inside voice. I’m constantly amazed at how many people are guilty of this one. C’mon; give those around you a break!

• And finally, er, whatever you do, please do not call me from the restroom!

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[NOTE: This post is my entry for my most excellent good buddy Brad Shorr's "Cell Phone Users and Abusers" contest. And, although I tell you this at great personal expense (because frankly it may reduce my chance of winning!), if you'd like a chance to win one of several cash prizes (up to $500!), then Bubba, you'd better click on that cute little link and read all about it!

P.S. If you decide to join the party, feel free to steal this badge!]

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Photo Credits:

No Cell Phones at Leland Inn Liquor, by John Kannenberg

Silence Cell Phones, by Lulu Vision

Ashes of Rude Cell Phone Users, by seamy @ flikr

Weird bald guy screaming on phone, by - I have no idea!

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You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

[Note from the Proprietor: Since today's scheduled post accidentally posted yesterday (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!), I'll make this one short. Enjoy!]

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I finally found out where my “outlaw” streak came from.

My mom sent me this photo the other day. See that tough-looking fellow on the left? It turns out he’s one of my ancestors; my grandfather’s cousin, or something (on my mother’s side).

The way I understand it, the story goes something like this:

He was just a regular guy, minding his own business when he was suddenly conscripted into the army! He spent several months in Pancho Villa’s army, wandering around with them wherever they went. One day, while somewhere in the vicinity of San Antonio, Texas, he decided he’d had enough and went AWOL.

But he liked that area of Texas so much, once Pancho Villa and his army moved on he decided to stick around and settle there. Eventually, he got married and raised a family. Thus, many of my relatives and cousins are from San Antonio.

Somehow, it helps to at least partially explain my somewhat wild streak, don’cha think?

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Here’s a scene from the latter part of a favorite old movie, Roman Holiday, starring Gregory Peck as Joe Bradley, a somewhat jaded reporter stationed in Rome, and a very young Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann. Ann becomes frustrated with her life as a cosseted princess, and one night while in Rome, she escapes her guardians to see what the “real world” is like. (It’s a great movie; do yourself a favor and put it on your “must see” list.)

As the day and their adventures come to a close (they both ended up falling in a river), Ann begins to recognize a hard truth: that her “holiday” must soon end, and that she must return to her duties as a princess. She begins to understand the fact that real life isn’t only about fun, but about duty. For the first time, she begins to truly… grow up.

Joe enters his apartment, takes off his jacket and closes the door. Inside, the radio is on, playing soft piano music. An announcer comes on: “This is the American Hour from Rome, continuing our musical selections”. In the bathroom, Ann gets herself ready, dressed in a robe. Looking in the mirror, she smoothes her hair over. She goes outside, standing beside the closed door. Joe, preparing a drink, greets her with a smile.

JOE [with a laugh] Everything ruined?

ANN. No. They’ll be dry in a minute.

JOE. Suits you - you should always wear my clothes.

ANN. Seems I do [Joe laughs].

JOE [giving a her a glass of wine] I thought a little wine might be good.

ANN. Shall I cook something?

JOE. No kitchen; nothing to cook; I always eat out.

ANN. Do you like that?

JOE. Well, life isn’t always what one likes - [pauses] is it?

ANN. No, it isn’t.

Call of the Wild

Back when I first started working in the engineering business, I was thrilled to finally find myself in what I considered to be a great job. What I mean is, it wasn’t just one I knew would be temporary, like the ones I’d had before. No more flipping burgers, taking movie tickets, or door-to-door sales for me! Nope, I had me a real job!

(Uh, please don’t get me wrong here. What I mean, of course, is a job with a career path that was right for me. As they say in the funny pages, your results may vary.)

I did pretty well for a few years, gradually increasing in skill, experience and relative handsomeness. Occasionally I even had my pick of assignments and enjoyed the pleasurable sensation of being somewhat in demand. (Like most businesses, the engineering field goes through fairly regular boom/bust cycles, and this was during a relatively strong upswing.)

Well, things progressed just fine for about 7 years. But then I got sorta, well, for want of a better term, tired of it. Oh, it wasn’t anything dramatic (no hissy fits, or anything like that); it was mostly little things. Like, I would catch myself staring in the mirror and thinking along the lines of, “Y’know, Bubba; you’re just not enjoying your work like you used to.”

It was a rather distressing thought, I’ll tell ya.

You ever felt that way about what you do? Kinda disconcerting, isn’t it? I mean, there you are, minding your own business and humpin’ along just fine, when suddenly it hits you (sound of dull thud). You suddenly find yourself wondering what the heck you’re doing. It’s sorta like waking up from a deep sleep and not recognizing where you are.

Taking a Holiday

Anyway, rather than get all hot and bothered over it, I decided to take a break from the engineering business and see if there was anything else I’d be inclined to do; to go roamin’, thank you very much.

Although there wasn’t that much money in the bank (well, not of MY money), it was enough to last me for a while, at least. A growing sense of adventure began to fill me with excitement. (Here in Texas, we refer to this sorta thing as gettin’ a wild hair up the, er, fundamental aperture. And I have no doubt whatsoever that you get my drift.)

Yep, this was gonna fun; I could just feel it! Ironically, I didn’t get to roam too far before something landed right on my doorstep, so to speak.

Within a few weeks, a friend of mine heard I was looking for something to do and offered me a job helping him start a printed T-shirt business. He wanted to create a new line of Christian-oriented clothing to sell to Christian Book stores in the area, and needed someone to run the operation.

Not having ever done anything even remotely similar before, I jumped at the chance for a totally new experience. And, to tell you the truth, it actually was fun. My friend purchased the equipment while I made the screens, printed the shirts myself, and essentially took care of the entire manufacturing process.

Not that it was any giant operation, mind you, but it was something productive, and more-or-less (mostly, er, less) paid the bills. (I was still single at the time, so my cost of living was pretty minor, really.)

Anyhoo, I really didn’t think too much about how long it would last, and if there was a future at all in it. I just pretty much lived for the day for a while and dreamed of the places I’d go. Maybe even buy a sailboat and live on it, or something.

Reality Bites Kinda Hard

Then…

Something profound happened (sound of dramatic segue). I sorta, um, met someone (sound of fireworks). Yup; right about that time of my life is when I met the future Mrs. MZM (sound of LOTS of fireworks). And lemme tell ya, Bubba; when we fell in love, it was obvious it was a match made in heaven. I mean, it had to be!

After all, I had pretty much nothing going for me at the time: by now I had practically no money in the bank, I had no “real” job, and in fact had pretty much no career plans at all.

It would have been a kindness to say I was, well, floundering around. Get it? The photo of a flounder? Oh, never mind (sound of groans).

I have to admit, though; the unexpected face-to-face encounter with my future did get me to spend quite a lot of time soul-searching. After all, since I was now expecting to get married and all, I really felt the need to be, you know, at least become sorta responsible, if you know what I mean. It’s sorta like getting’ bitten in the butt by reality… hard!

So I began to think really hard (sound of extra heavy grinding noises), about creating an income that would be sufficient for us to live on. And it didn’t take but a few nanoseconds to realize a couple of very important facts.

First of all (and to be perfectly honest - something we always strive for here at the Zone), I didn’t really have to look all that hard. After admitting the, you know, reality of the situation, I knew there was already a perfectly good source, just sittin’ there waiting for me. (The engineering business was still strong at the time, so I knew getting a job would be easy.)

Second - and this was the hard one to swallow - I had to grow up, face reality, and get back to work. (It meant giving up my wild hair, of course. But in the final analysis, I had to admit it wasn’t all that wild anyway.)

Now, don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t that hard a decision. I mean, by then I was so madly in love I woulda done pretty much anything to win her heart. So giving up on my dream of a free-ranging lives-on-a-boat lifestyle was actually not a decision at all, but a joy. (Besides, isn’t “free-range” a term used to describe chickens at the grocery store?)

Now, at first glance, this rather short and seemingly pointless period of my life had turned out to be pretty much, well, a waste of time. I mean, in the final analysis, I hadn’t really accomplished all that much. There were still lots of things I wanted to try out (and now probably never would). Not to mention I had pretty much emptied the ol’ bank account, too. In fact, my “playtime” had barely made a mark on the world at all.

BUT (and please notice, that’s a BIG ‘but’) on the other hand, the experience did put me face to face with one particular reality we all have to face sooner or later:

Life isn’t always what one likes, is it?

Time to Choose

Yep; it can be a hard reality all right (sound of heartfelt sobbing).

Hey, wait a minute, you say. But what about that ‘You can do it!’ crowd?

No doubt you’ve heard plenty of admonitions (including some from yours truly, even) that if you just apply yourself, you can accomplish, get, or do pretty much anything you want, right? Well, consider this: are we even talking about the same thing?

See, when it comes to making up our minds to, you know, do something grander than usual, the current condition of our own attitude is one of the biggest factors, wouldn’t you agree? So in that context, “change your attitude, change your life” actually makes a lot of sense.

But I’m talkin’ about which way you want to go in life. And most of the time, it’s one of those either/or moments. You know the kind, right? When choosing one direction pretty much eliminates the possibility of ever choosing the other - perhaps forever (sound of terrified scream).

Hey, you don’t just make a decision like that on a whim, ya know.

And, it’s also when those irritating intangibles come into play. You know, silly, inconsequential things like, er, duty, honor, commitment, trust - yeah, those pesky things.

It’s where the rubber meets the road, and the irresistible force meets the immovable object. Where the hole and the donut part ways. (Is that enough metaphors for you? Hey, I’ve got more…) And, it’s when the decision (whatever it happens to be) pretty much changes the nature of your life from then on, and you have to choose who you really are.

So… ever been there?

So here’s you homework for the day. Consider (and answer in the comment box, if you like) the following questions:

Have you ever had to make a choice like that? What are some of the things you always wanted to do, but know now you’ll probably never get around to? Are you regretful with the choices you’ve made, or are you content the path chosen had been good for you? Are there any dreams you still believe you’ll get around to accomplishing one day?

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Have you ever suffered a serious disappointment in life? I’m talkin’ about one of those my-ship-just-came-in sorta things that you coulda swore (if your Momma hadn’t taught you not to) was as good as, well, guaranteed.

Sure you have!

I’ll tell ya what, Bubba; those times ain’t fun, are they? In fact, they’re downright painful - to the point of excruciation.

But speaking on behalf of those of us who have endured such trepidations, we can tell you one thing for certain: No matter how badly you feel, there is life on the other side!

Tough Times

Some years ago, the engineering job market in the U.S. suffered what’cha might call a serious downturn (which is a pathetically mundane euphemism for what it really means, to wit: it tanked, Bubba!). And during that time, yours truly, along with quite a few others, went through a period of extended unemployment. For me, it lasted almost exactly 4 years to the day.

Yep; you read it right, folks! It was a rough time, to say the least. Oh sure, every business cycle has its ups and downs. But never had I experienced such complete and total ineffectiveness at job hunting (other than, you know, odd jobs of various sorts) in my chosen field.

I’m tellin’ ya, Bubba; I tried everything! Alas, all the usual sources of jobs literally dried up before my very eyes. Even though I managed to land several pretty good job interviews during this period, unfortunately they never quite converted into an actual, you know, job.

Well… except for one… (flash of lightning, crash of thunder, sound of terrified scream).

First Contact

So what made this one different? Well, here’s the thing…

First contact for this particular position came from a headhunter. Now, I don’t know about you, but in my vast years of experience in the engineering field (34 and counting), whenever that sorta thing happens, it’s usually good for a yawn or two - at best.

Why, you ask? Well, it’s because headhunters generally contact so many people it’s hard to get too excited about it. (This is not a complaint; it’s just the way it is.) And, as most job-seekers probably know, submitting a resume to a headhunter is about as useful as dropping it into a quantum black hole. (Although dropping your resume into a black hole at least gives you lots of pretty colors as it’s sucked into infinity and transforms itself into gamma ray energy.)

Anyway, at first blush the job appeared to be slightly out of my area of expertise. Oh, don’t get me wrong; I was sure I could do the job. It’s just that I’d never had that particular job description before. And, after everything was said and done, more is usually said than done that sort of thing usually translates into a dramatic, er, lack of interest on the client’s part.

But hey, I was definitely interested, so at least the possibility of a job clicked forward a notch.

Nailed It!

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather (sound of me, being knocked over with a feather) when the headhunter actually came through and arranged a phone interview. I mean, it had been so long since anyone had indicated an interest in little ol’ me, at first I wasn’t even sure I’d know how to act!

But when it was time to make the call, Bubba, I was ready.

I followed the classic job-seekers’ manual to the letter: I put on nice clothes (even to the point of wearing a tie), stood in front of a mirror (never sit down during a phone interview!), made sure I smiled a lot (believe it or not, they can actually hear a smile over the phone) - well, you know the drill, right? I’m tellin’ ya; I was as prepared as I could possibly be.

All that preparation paid off, too, because by the end of the interview it was obvious I’d pretty much nailed it. By the end of our conversation, the fellow I spoke with (who as it turned out, was the actual hiring authority) was absolutely convinced I was the right person for the job - and said so in no uncertain terms. I was the perfect combination of experience and enthusiasm he’d been looking for (which were pretty much his exact words).

Wonder of wonders, I was hired! Yessir, things were definitely looking up!

Well, we had talked longer than originally planned, so he had to leave for a meeting. So we arranged one more call the following week to discuss particulars (you know; those minor little details like salary, compensation plan, etc.) and signed off.

As you might imagine, by this time I’m pretty much dancin’ on the ceiling. My unemployment period had lasted over two years at this point, and the industry was still not on the recovery yet. Naturally, after such a positive interview, I did what anyone would do - I started to get my hopes up.

Hold on There, Bubba!

I know by now you’re probably way ahead of me. *sigh*

To nobody’s surprise (except, of course, mine), a week went by; then two. By the third week, after trying fruitlessly to contact said hiring manager (who steadfastly refused to return my calls), I finally had to admit to myself that all was not as rosy as it had seemed such a short time before.

All during this time, I was riding an emotional roller coaster, alternating between positive optimism and bouts of despair and frustration. I hope you’ve never been there, my friends, but if you have then you know exactly what I mean. It was a horrible time.

It was, I think, about five or six weeks after that phone interview when I finally managed to contact him again. (It must have been a moment of insanity on his part because he actually, you know, answered the phone.) Well, within approximately 5.92 milliseconds, I could tell my worst fears had been realized.

That’s right; there was no job! (sound of heartfelt sobbing)

The Back Story

So what the heck happened, you ask? Well, here’s the back story.

See, in the time between the actual interview and our planned second phone call (hey, it was only a week - 7 short days - a lousy 168 hours), corporate headquarters had put a freeze on all hiring. Yep; you read it right, ladies and gentlemen: there was to be no more hiring until further notice! (more sobbing, accompanied by occasional blowing of the ol’ schnozola)

Needless to say, I was completely devastated. I mean, there I was, not only fully qualified, but had even been specifically selected for the job! Then, just as I was about to step into my new role, it evaporated right before my very eyes!

I’m tellin’ ya, Bubba; I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw something. I wanted to - well, suffice it to say, I was not a happy camper. And I don’t mind admittin’ to y’all; it was probably one of the emotionally toughest things I’ve ever had to face.

Fast Forward

Ever had something like that happen to you? You know; when you were absolutely, positively SURE that ____________ (feel free to fill in the blank here) was really, really going to happen. In fact, you even saw it happening right before your eyes.

But then… it fell apart (sound of your vision shattering into a million pieces).

So, what was your reaction? Hey, if you’re anything like me (and sincere condolences if you are), then most likely you experienced, among other things, the urge to throw something, to climb to the highest tower and rage at the injustice of it all, or perhaps something equally Drama Queen-esque. Or, maybe not.

But here I am, five years later, and I can tell ya one thing for sure: I survived.

Yep; it’s true. At the time, it quite literally felt like the end of the world as I knew it. I mean, if I didn’t get this job - this perfect, wonderful job - well, I’d probably explode into a thousand pieces and turn to dust. Mrs. MZM would have had to get out the ol’ Dust Buster, collect my sorry remains, and dump me into the garden. At least my constituent elements might do the geraniums some good. (Or maybe kill ‘em; whatever.)

But to my complete surprise, I didn’t, in fact, explode. Nope; I picked myself up and, well, moved on. I didn’t know I could. I didn’t even feel like I could.

But (and here’s the amazing part) - I did.

Nothin’ to See Here

See, that’s the thing about big, traumatic disappointments. Oh, they happen, all right. And what’s more, they really, really hurt. Believe me, I understand perfectly.

But one thing I know for sure is that there is always a tomorrow. There will always, as long as we draw breath, be another chance for things to happen. It’s kinda like a big, cosmic Nothin’ to see here; keep movin’ sign up in the heavens.

What’s more; the thing you thought you couldn’t possibly ever get over - well, you may be surprised how what eventually happens can turn out to be even better than what you wished would have happened at the time. As a matter of fact, it’s always been true for me.

So what’s your experience been like? Have you ever faced a crushing disappointment in life, something that turned out totally the opposite of what you had in mind? Maybe you even, like me, had something literally snatched right out of the palm of your hand.

What did you do? How did you handle it? Have you managed to get past it yet - or are you still in the midst of one now? Let us know in the comment box, my friends; maybe even give us a chance to figuratively put our arms around your shoulders and say, “There, there; it’s gonna be all right!”

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Photo Credits:

A Bird in the Hand, by Mr. Hyde

Nuthin to See Here!, by shakti_truffle

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You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Howdy, y’all! Let’s give a round of applause (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically) for all you wonderful, talented and no doubt handsome and/or good-looking writers who joined us for this month’s group writing project: What I Learned From Government

Hey, we appreciate you sharing your stories (and more importantly, your lessons learned) with the rest of us. This month we had a total of [updated] 25 entries. Way to go, y’all!

Now, for your edification you’ll find each and every one of ‘em listed below (in no particular order, other than it’s how I found ‘em). Do yourself a favor and check ‘em all out.

Heck, why not do something really out of the ordinary - why not drop by the authors’ blogs and start a conversation, why don’cha? You just may be glad you did!

• What I Learned From the Government About Allergies , by Monique Attinger at BeAllergyWise.com
• What I Learned From Plato’s Republic, by Jean Browman at Cheerful Monk
• Yes, no and sorry - and political leadership, by Jackie Cameron at Jackie Cameron
• No government can save us, by Robert Guyer and David Rupert at Red Letter Believers
• Learning From the Writing on the Wall, by Joanna Young at Confident Writing
• What I Learned From Government, by Ellen Weber at Brain Leaders and Learners
• I Like Politicians Up Close, Not So Much From a Distance, by Jim Hughes at Difficult Seasons
• People in Governments Care; Systems Do Not, by Gregory Allen at The Antijerk
• What I Learned From Government - it’s time to stay engaged, by Marcus Goodyear at Goodword Editing
• Group Writing Project What I Learned From Government, by Tim at Spy Journal
• Freedom? Not Me! By Karin H. at Stop/Start
• What is the High Calling of Government and Government Work? by Sally at Sally’s Words
• Top Twelve Things I Have Learned From Government, by Drew Hill at coffee with Drew
• Top 10 Things I’ve Learned From Government! by Gerrard Fess at Deep Thoughts by Gman
• What I Learned From a Government Deportation Program, by Robyn McMaster at Brain Based Biz
• WILF - Government: The President is Irrelevant, by Luke Gedeon at Luke Gedeon
• What I Learned From Government, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, an Editor’s Eye
• Election Reflection, by Tina Howard at spaghettipie
• Grace, Government and Sovereignty, by Mary DeMuth at Mary DeMuth
• What I Learned From Government, by Christine Sine at Godspace
• Thus Teaches the Government, by a sower at A Sower’s Heart
• What I Learned From What Jesus Had to Say About Government, by Erica Hale at These Three Remain
• What I Learned From Government, by Joy Messimer at Life in the Making
• Parents Versus Big Brother, by Tabetha Gedeon at Denim & Silk [Late addition]

And last, but hopefully not least, here’s an entry from yours truly:

• Winners and… the Other Guys, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

Y’all give yourselves a big hand, my friends, and as usual, I salute you all a big ol’ tip o’ the hat! Be sure to tune in next month for the next exciting edition of What I Learned From…. And fair warning - it’s not that far away, y’hear?

So, what’s the subject going to be, you ask? Well… that would be telling!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Well, I got some bad news for ya.

It seems there’s only a little time left if you want to get your entry in for this month’s What I Learned From Government groupwrite project! Yup; you have until midnight, Sunday night before I turn into a pumpkin for you to get one written and a link sent to me so I can include it on the list to be published Monday morning.

So don’t just sit there like purple on a nurple, Bubba! Grab the writing instrument of your choice and write something!

In the meantime, y’all have a great weekend, and don’t forget to drop by on Monday for the whole list!

See ya!

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Photo: Clocks 2, by Leo Reynolds

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You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!