Howdy, Bubba! Hey, if you're new around these parts, I just want to say how much I appreciate you dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!

OK; show of hands.

How many times do we do everything in our power to avoid trouble like it’s an onslaught of the bubonic plague? Yup; thought so. Me too. I mean, who in their right mind purposely seeks out situations that test our very mettle to the core, you know?

Oh, sure; we all enjoy  occasional excitement. But I’m not talkin’ about intentional thrills, like skydiving, bungee-jumping, or thumb-wrestling. Those are all good for an adrenaline high, but they’re all something you do on purpose, you know?

I’m talkin’ about high-stress situations, and no, not the good kind. You know what I mean; the kind you get when your job is in jeopardy, your health goes south, something or other that’s important to you is in danger of completely cratering. Where the stress level registers 8.6 on the Richter scale. Yeah, that kind of stress.

The fact is, when it comes to life’s hard knocks, we try to avoid those as much as we can, right? We tend to seek safety and security, be it a bank account, a job, or even a relationship. Hey, it’s the way we’re wired.

So why is it, when we pretty much all spend most of our time seeking to avoid trials and tribulations, that unpleasant things still seem to seek, and yes, find us like the proverbial bullets with our names on them? And why are we so surprised when they do?

Well… I’m not going to tell you.

The fact is, this is my way of introducing our topic for the next What I Learned From… groupwrite project:

Yup; this time, we’re going to talk about stress (sound of terrified scream).

The fact is, stress is actually a pretty good school teacher, isn’t it? And I dare say we’ve all learned a thing or two about life, particularly when the stress levels were, shall we say, higher than we’d like.

Here’s your chance to share a life lesson or two with all of us, cause next Monday, October 6, we kick off the next WILF, and the title is What I Learned From Stress.

So get ready to grab the writing device of your choice, folks, and be prepared to tell us about something you learned from stress.

See ya then!

[Note: A tip o' the hat to my buddy Dennis McMullin for suggesting this topic. the fact is, I'd already picked it even before Hurricane Ike decided to breeze through the area. Ironic, eh?]

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

One common thread that seems to run through most societies is the fact that shared experiences tend to build common bonds, even among otherwise total strangers. Remember the swell of kinship many of us (and yes, even with other countries) felt immediately after 9-11?

We’ve had the privilege of seeing the same thing happen here in Houston after Ike came through. Total strangers are talking to each other, sharing their experiences during the storm and afterwards as though they were old friends. It’s both refreshing and poignant.

Oh, sure; some of that enthusiasm fades with time. Again; look what happened after the fervor of 9-11 waned a bit. Most people went back to being just… people again. But still, I’d be willing to bet there’s a few new long-lasting bonds now that weren’t there before. Like it or not, there was no going back to The Way Things Were. Hey, it’s progress, of a sort.

Cool Weather - A Real Blessing

A couple of days after Hurricane Ike passed (Sunday, the 21st), a ridge of high-pressure Canadian air settled in (and that was mighty kind of you Canadians to send it our way!) As a result, we experienced the wonderful and unexpected blessing of unseasonably cool and dry weather. What should normally have been in the 90’s and quite steamy was actually more like the low to mid-80’s and surprisingly low humidity.

It made the next several days actually quite pleasant, I’ll tell ya. And even more astonishing, in the evenings it got down in the low 60’s! Believe me, that sort of thing rarely happens in September around here. So while waiting for power to be restored, instead of sittin’ around listening to our hair grow, Mrs. MZM and I broke out the bikes so we could get out and enjoy the nice weather.

Actually, it gave us a chance to survey the neighborhood for the first time since the storm. Amazingly enough (and I say this with no pride whatsoever) our street was one of the least hit. I’d say it was mainly because we don’t have any large trees. Surprisingly, most roofs appeared to manage the winds just fine (way to go, roofing contractors!) But alas, it’s not normal to build a wood-framed house that will hold up under a fallen tree.

Many of our neighborhood’s other streets had trees, big and small, leaning every which way. Lots of houses had trees downed on top of them. One house had not one, but three trees crunched into its roof. And even more amazing, another had a large pine tree (about 10 inches in diameter and probably originally 50 feet tall) poking through its roof. Not on it, mind you; through it. Pretty sobering, when you think about that kind of wind power.

A Common Bond

One thing we noticed almost right away. Riding around, we had the opportunity to see and meet folks we’d never ordinarily get to meet. I mean, as I mentioned before, the weather is usually too hot at this time of year to be outside unless you’re (eek!) doing yard work or something like that.

But now, with no power and fine weather, literally everybody was outside. It made it easy to meet the folks. What’s more, we all had something in common now - a sure-fire icebreaker when people meet for the first time.

The most common thing we heard (or said) was something like, “So how’d y’all do in the storm?” Even back at work, the two most of-repeated lines are a) the above, and b) “Got your power back yet?”

The news media waxes eloquent about how people are “pulling together” to help each other through this rough time. Neighbors helping neighbors, sharing power generators and gasoline to run them, just doing what needs to be done with no questions asked. It’s normal after this sort of thing.

And we’ve done our share of meeting and greeting too. We now know folks all over our neighborhood instead of only a few on our own street. The sense of community has definitely expanded a lot. But will it last?

Maintaining the Ties That Bind

One of the things we forget is that as the memories of these experiences gradually fade away in time, any bonds we might have made will tend to fade, too. This experience can be anywhere from mildly irritating to rather traumatic, especially if you felt a real kinship and bond with them at the time. It almost seems as if part of you is running down, like a spinning flywheel that slowly runs out of spin.

The solution? Well, it’s embarrassingly simple, really. And it’s not like we don’t know it already.

We just have to remember to put something of ourselves into the relationship. We have to make the effort. And hey, it’s not like you have to, you know, like everyone you meet. (As far as I know, that’s not a “rule”.) Unless your name is Will Rodgers, who of us can truthfully say that? But wouldn’t you agree the odds are at least some of the folks we meet will be compatible?

So even though we’ve met quite a few new folks now, the reality is that it’s up to us. If we don’t do something to keep the relationships going, well, then it’s our own fault when they fizzle out over time. So Mrs. MZM and I will keep riding our bikes through the neighborhood, meeting folks when we can. I mean, you never know…

Oops

Well, I went and broke the so-called blogging rules again. (Dang! I hate it when that happens!) I got all the way to the end of this post and lo and behold, there’s no call to action here; no clever play of words designed to provoke you to respond in the comment box. Well, sorry ‘bout that.

But hey, if you just feel the urge to leave a comment anyway, then all I can say is: Go for it, Bubba!

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

How many of you out there remember those old Timex watch commercials with John Cameron Swayze? You know the ones, right? Here’s the scene:

A car careens out of control, drives off a 1,000-foot cliff, plummets to the bottom, smashes into a thousand pieces - and finally bursts into flames. Mr. Swayze saunters out from behind a convenient boulder, picks a watch out of the rubble, looks straight into the camera and calmly says the punch line, “Timex. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” Or something.

Yup; no matter what they went through, those babies always kept ticking. I’m tellin’ ya folks; that was one resilient watch!

So my question for you today is a simple one. Are you resilient? It’s a question that might be more important than you think.

The Bell Tolls… for Trees

Over the last week or so, much of the Houston-Galveston area has been in recovery mode from Mother Nature’s hissy fit that will forever be known as Hurricane Ike. As of this writing, power has been restored to about 75% of the 2.5 million homes and businesses in the area that were shut down during the storm.

The gentle and loving caress of about a zillion chain saws has seen many of the downed trees reduced to rows of organic trash, neatly stacked along our city streets. In some cases, it’s stacked so high and long it resembles a new Great Wall. Sad to think about all the trees that will no longer grace our skylines. (Luckily, we can afford to spare a few - the city still has lots of its green canopy left.)

Power at our home was out for only about 5 days, and by God’s grace we suffered no damage at all, despite the 80 to 90 mph (129-145 kph) winds that passed over our area. So you won’t hear any complaints from me! To tell you the truth, what Mrs. MZM and I experienced is, on the larger scale, fairly insignificant. Some spots, like Bolivar Peninsula or the western end of Galveston Island, were literally wiped off the map.

I say there was no damage, but of course our landscaping was rearranged a mite. Luckily we’re in the newer section of the neighborhood, which of course means very few large trees. Although we love trees, in this case the lack of them was a blessing; we didn’t get any of the fallen ones in (and in one spectacular case, through) our roof like some of the other, older sections did.

They Take a Licking and Keep on - Growing

There was evidence of high winds everywhere, though. Take our banana plants, for instance. We only planted them last year, and for awhile they remained basically a few sticks in the ground. But as you may or may not know, once banana plants get going, they pretty much grow like weeds. However, we wanted that “tropical jungle” look, so we were happy with it. In fact, some of the larger ones were nearly 15 feet high at the tip of the highest leaves.

Alas, the storm’s winds knocked down four of our larger ones, broke about half the remaining leaves, and badly shredded virtually every banana leaf above the top of the fence. What were once smooth green leaves now look like long stems with green fringe.

At one point during the storm, Mrs. MZM even called me to the window (yes, it was a protected one) and pointed out how the trees and bushes were literally corkscrewing around and around. It was as if miniature tornadoes were playing with each one (come to think of it, that may actually have been the case). Yet in spite of that somewhat cavalier treatment, most of our plants survived just fine.

Amazingly, what’s left of the bananas are still green, and new leaves are already popping out with abandon. It’s that resiliency again - an essential ingredient for survival. Ya know; ya gotta admire that kind of strength, don’t you?

For instance; take a look at this photo. This particular banana plant is nearly 6 inches in diameter and, er, was one of the largest ones in the yard. Unfortunately, right above this point the wind folded it over the back fence and into the neighbor’s yard, so I had to chop it off about 4 feet above the ground.

Two Kinds of Strength

See that white stalk coming out of the top of the stump? Believe it or not, this photo was taken less than 24 hours after I cut the trunk off. That stalk is how much has already grown! Amazing, isn’t it? I’ll tell ya, I’m not bothered. The fact is, you can’t keep a banana plant down, no matter what you do to the danged things. Those babies just keep on comin’ back!

And therein, my friends, lies a great lesson in life.

There’s a kind of strength that reflects an inability to be moved. Think of a large boulder sitting in the midst of a raging river. No matter what that river throws at it, it simply won’t be moved. Impressive, eh?

But there’s also a kind of strength that only comes from being able to flex and move. Ancient shipbuilders knew this. When they went searching for a tall, straight trunk with which to make their ships’ masts, they didn’t look for trees that had grown up in protected areas.

No, they went to the tops of mountains, the rocky crags where the winds blew the strongest. There were the trees that had flexed with the wind and weathered the storms - yet still grew tall and straight. Those were the masts that would most likely remain upright and keep a ship safe, no matter what the sea threw at it.

And it’s a strength that’s not obvious, either. As Mrs. MZM and I rode around the neighborhood on our cycles, observing the damage, we noticed many of the trees that had fallen were actually partially hollow inside. Or, the root systems weren’t very deep. Both conditions made the trees far more vulnerable to high winds.

But - and here’s the crux of the matter - there was no way to tell ahead of time. It took a really big storm to reveal the truth and demonstrate which of the trees was truly resilient enough.

Once Again, With Feeling

Again, I ask you the question: Are you resilient?

Are you the kind of person who recovers easily from setbacks? Do you have this kind of inner strength? Would you consider this to be a natural gift, or is it something we can all learn? What would you say is the best way to develop it? And, for extra bonus points (if you dare), ask your friends if they think you’re resilient. Ask them for examples. You may (or may not) be surprised.

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

Now that we’re in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike’s tiptoe through the tulips stomp through the Houston-Galveston metropolitan corridor in seven-league jackboots, a thought occurred to me (sound of dull thud).

I found myself thinkin’ about all of the various random and chaotic forces at work that ultimately brought a storm like Ike to this particular spot on the globe. I mean, back when it was just a glimmer in the local weather guy’s eye, who would’ve given odds it would eventually end up right here?

Humble Beginnings

At first, it was just what they call a “tropical wave”, heading west off the African coast. It was much too far away to really think about; at least for us. “Hey (we said to ourselves), it’s half a world away; we can think about it later.”

But after a few days it changed from a mild-mannered warm front into a tropical storm (winds +45 mph - 72 kph), and not long after that, a hurricane (+65 mph - 105 kph). Projected tracks had it heading towards Florida, but with a turn to the north; grazing the East Coast of the U.S. Those of us in the Gulf Coast area said to ourselves, “Hey, nothin’ for us to worry about,” we said with somewhat misplaced confidence (sound of big sighs of relief). “It may not even make it into the Gulf.”

(In the meantime, Hurricane Gustav scored, right between the goalposts of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, wreaking havoc across a broad swath of the Deep South.)

But then the picture changed a bit. Ike’s projected track suddenly switched from the eastern side of Florida to the western side. That meant it would enter the Gulf of Mexico - never a good thing when the water temperature that drives these storms is so warm and full of energizing power. Still, it wasn’t headed here - or where Gustav just hit - so again, big sighs of relief all around. (Understand; it’s not that we wish it on anyone else, mind you…)

But even as the majority of predictive models showed a northern track, there was still this one possible path that pointed our way. But hey, it was only one out of 8 or 10 models, and the weather folks assured us it was “not the most accurate one anyway”. Hrm; should we be concerned? Well…

Taking Aim

The next morning, everything changed and just like that (sound of snapping fingers), every weather model had our little buddy Ike pointed to a spot just west of Houston, Texas. Huh? How’d that happen? Alas, it seemed an unexpected confluence of high- and low-pressure areas was conspiring to drive Ike pretty much right at us. Suddenly the prospect of a strong (and steadily getting stronger) storm became all too real.

As the old saying goes, “What do you mean, ‘don’t panic’? Bubba, this looks like the perfect time to panic!”

Well, you know what I mean. Now it became a guessing game as to just how far to the west it would hit. Too close, and we’d get the worst of it. Far enough away, and it’s at most only heavy rains and some windy spells. For a day or two there was far too much uncertainty to know which scenario would ultimately win.

Finally, Ike turned and took aim at Galveston. Lemme tell ya, serious battening down commenced! Or, as the news media became rather fond of saying, we “hunkered down” for the hammer blow. And what a blow it was!

At the last minute, Ike strengthened even more, and with sustained wind speeds clocked at over115 mph (185 kph) it whanged into the Texas coast with the force of multiple nuclear blasts. (Think I’m kidding? You’d be amazed how much energy is contained in a storm the size of a hurricane.)

Don’t Mind Me, I’m Just Passin’ Through

Almost as if following a map, Hurricane Ike traveled right up the main traffic corridor of Interstate 45, across Galveston Island and right through Houston and beyond. As it passed, it knocked out the power to virtually the entire corridor - which amounts to about 2.5 million people’s homes and businesses.

High winds caused many power transformers all over the place to literally explode, igniting many fires across the city. One area on Galveston Island saw an entire row of houses burned down. Fire fighters were powerless to do anything in the midst of the storm; they just had to let it burn.

Within hours of crossing the coastline, the eye (now about 25 miles wide) passed over the eastern half of the Houston area, bringing hurricane-force winds with it. Over the course of the next 12 hours Ike finally lost enough strength to become “just a storm” again, then finally a big rainmaker as it continued its course up through Tennessee and Illinois and even beyond.

The Story of My Life

Ya know, the story of ol’ Ike seems almost like the story of my life. No, don’t laugh; I’m serious. (Especially you in the back with the purple suspenders and pink, fuzzy slippers on - you ain’t got nothin’ to laugh about.)

I mean, when I think about it, it’s easy to see that the course of my own life (and I would venture to guess, yours too) has pretty much been dictated by a combination of forces that directed me to what I’m doing now. For instance, when I was still just a kid (that’s human, not goat), two events set the course of my life. Oddly enough, they both involve my grandmother.

One was the discovery of a huge pile of science fiction magazines in my grandmother’s attic. The other was when she helped me make a decision that would influence me forever; she pointed my active little mind towards what would become a lifelong fascination with space, adventure, and science.

These experiences were kinda like that warm front leaving the coast of Africa; by the time that happened, Ike’s future was set. In the same way, those two episodes essentially set the tone for the rest of my life.

Along the way, various weather fronts, along with the shifting shape of the jet stream helped tickle and jiggle Ike’s eventual course. Again, in a similar fashion there were plenty of other influences making measurable impacts on my life.

I mean, besides the “whole life” experiences (if you get my meanin’) of becoming a Christian, as well as meeting and marrying Mrs. MZM, there were all kinds of obstacles and epiphanies and career goal reevaluations. Not to mention the many places I’ve had the privilege of visiting and/or working in. They all conspired to direct me toward where I am (and for that matter, where I’m going) right now.

When my career settled down and I got into Project Management, it was like Ike entering the Gulf and powering up. Although I’ve been doing engineering work for some time now, I really enjoyed the work and all. Still, there were a few things I wasn’t sure of - like, did I want to stay in Project Management forever, or was there yet a more interesting career path available.

Hurricane Bob

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to switch over to the consulting side of the engineering business. Finally, it all seemed to come together, and it feels like my life’s course is set for the remainder of my career. Ever since I finished my third degree, there were certain, well, things, I wanted to get into - I just didn’t know how to break into it, if you know what I mean.

But now I’m able to take a bead on some of those goals and aspirations with some measure of confidence that I’ll actually, you know, get there. Talk about exciting! It’s given me a new lease on life, so to speak, and supercharged my thinking. And, just as Ike strengthened right before storming the beach like the Allies at Normandy, it feels like I’m finally hitting my full stride.

After Hurricane Ike plowed through Galveston Island, some parts of the coastline that were changed forever. Some of it washed away, some of it even grew bigger - hey, it happens. But whatever else you can say about it, Ike has surely left a mark, both on the land, and in folk’s memories, that won’t soon be forgotten.

Unlike Ike, however, instead of wreaking havoc and leaving a trail of devastation and destruction, I plan to leave a trail of, you know, positive results in my path. In other words, I’d like to leave a mark on this ol’ world - but in a good way, of course.

So What About You?

OK, I hope I haven’t been too guilty of waxing eloquent here (a term that roughly means to lay it on thick and polish it to a nice, shiny finish). Yeah, I can hear the snores now. Sorry ‘bout that. But it sorta begs the question, doesn’t it?

So tell me what you think, here. Am I off base? Do I make a good point, or should I go back to my old job as a crash-test dummy?

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

Mrs. MZM and I were riding our cycles through our hurricane-ravaged neighborhood last night when we happened to come across a bunch of CenterPoint Energy repair trucks. A large number of folks were standing around, watching the workers to see if there were any clues as to when our power would be restored.

I mean, we didn’t want to interrupt them or anything, you know. But you could tell the same question was on everyone’s face: “When will I have power?”

It kinda reminds me of that scene from Oliver Twist when he held up his bowl to the schoolmaster and plaintively asked, “Please, can I have some more?”

Just as we pulled up even with them, it happened: power popped on all around us! It was as if we’d all won the lottery, I’ll tell ya! The crowd literally cheered those workers as if they’d just called our winning numbers. It was a truly fine moment for those guys, I’m sure.

Normally this type of work is probably fairly thankless. I mean, we just assume the system will work, no matter what, right? But in times like this, it really makes us realize just what they have to do to, you know, keep the system running.

Anyway, I just want to give a big ol’ shout to the folks at CenterPoint Energy for the incredible efforts they are doing to get things online again. Some areas are much worse than others, of course, but they are truly heroes to us.

A tip o’ the hat, y’all!

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

Well, I’m pleased as punch to say we survived the onslaught of Hurricane Ike. I’ll tell ya, folks - that’s not something I’d want to repeat anytime soon, though - and preferably never!

At the moment, at least 75% of Houston and surrounding areas, and all of Galveston, still have no power (that’s about 2.5 million people and businesses out for the count). Thanks to the heroic efforts of about a zillion power company workers from all over the country, it’s slowly coming back a section at a time.

In the meantime, we’re trying to make the best of a poor situation. I’m sitting in our local Panera Bread Company, where every single person in here has their laptops with ‘em! With no power anywhere, it’s the only Internet around. (Thanks, guys!!)

Mrs. MZM and I are safe and sound, our home suffered no damage (unlike many other homes in our neighborhood), and a kind neighbor even loaned us a generator so our fridge is working again. (I can’t remember the last time I consciously thanked God for ice and a fan!)

So bear with me folks. I know we were sorta in the middle of a What I Learned From… groupwrite project, and I’m working to update the last entries now. And what the heck, if ya still want to throw one in the pot, feel free!

There’s stories to tell and work to catch up on, but in the meantime, Mrs. MZM and I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your kind thoughts, prayers, and concern for us and the people of Houston and especially Galveston. Believe me, we still need ‘em, so keep ‘em coming!

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

Well, the sun has set (sound of dull thud) on yet another exciting edition of our monthly What I Learned From… groupwrite project.

Yup; it’s kinda like the end of the day on a long cattle drive: we got the herd settled in for the night, the campfire’s lit up, and me an’ the boys are feasting on a hearty meal of chili and beans while sharin’ a tall tale or two. (Helpful hint: If you’re ever in this situation, I suggest you park yourself on the upwind side of things, if you, um, get my meanin’.)

Anyway, let’s give a big ol’ thanks to all the wonderful folks who joined us this month (sound of a rousing chorus of applause and cheering). Our topic this month was What I Learned From My Friends. Thanks again for sharing your stories (and more importantly, your lessons learned) with the rest of us!

This month we had a total of [updated] 18 entries (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically). Way to go, folks! Believe me, we appreciate each and every one of you! Within a few days your contributions will be archived forever (well, more or less) in the General Body of Knowledge (otherwise known as the WILF Archive page).

I hope you had as much fun as I did, and that you’ll choose to join us next time, too!

Below you’ll find the entire list (in no particular order, other than it’s how I found ‘em). Do yourself a favor and check ‘em all out. Heck, drop by the authors’ blogs and start a conversation, why don’cha!

• Two-Footed Questions for Ten Friends, by Ellen Weber at Brain Based Business
• What I Learned From a Good Friend, by Ulla Hennig at Ulla Hennig’s Weblog
• Friends Come and Go, by Karen Hanrahan at Best Wellness Consultant
• Making Hay While the Sun Shines, by Jean Browman at Cheerful Monk
• What I Learned From a Friend - I am Arrogant, by Luke Gedeon at Luke Gedeon
• What I Learned From My Friends, by Maarten Lemmers at Musings
• What I Learned From My Friends About Advertising, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell, Inc.
• Friends Come From All Walks of Life, by Karin H. at Stop/Start
• Three Ways Friends Help Me Improve My Marketing Results, by Chris Brown at Branding & Marketing
• What I Learned About Writing From My Friends Online, by Joanna Young at Confident Writing
• Embracing What I Learned From My Friends, by Rosa Say at Say Leadership Coaching
• What I Learned About Life From My Friends, by Karen Swim at Words for Hire
• What I Learned From Being Dumped by My Best Friend, by Jean Browman at Stress to Power
• I’m Sorry I’m Sorry, by Tabetha Gedeon at Denim & Silk
• What I Learned From Friends, by Robyn McMaster at Brain Based Biz

[UPDATED!]

• What I Learned From… My Friends, by Jeanne Dininni at Writer’s Notes
• What I Learned From My Friends About Allergies, by Monique Attinger at Be Allergy Wise

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

• What I Learned From a Few Friendly Words, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

Y’all give yourselves a big hand, my friends! And as usual, a big tip o’ the hat to ya! Be sure to tune in next time for yet another exciting edition of What I Learned From…

So, what’s the subject going to be, you ask? Well… that would be telling. But I can assure you - it’s gonna be a good’un!

[Note from the Proprietor: The Middle Zone was temporarily out of commission due to Hurricane Ike's romp through the Houston, Texas area. I've done my best to list every entry, but if for some reason I missed yours, please email me and I'll make sure you get added to the list above. Thanks!]

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