Anyhoo – a big ol’ Yeehaw! is in order for the participants in this month’s groupwrite project: What I Learned From Colorful Characters. In fact, we had 10 entries this time around! (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically)

So take a look at the list below, in which all the entries are listed in the order in which I found ‘em. Do yourself a favor and drop by each writers’ site and start a conversation, why don’cha? You’ll be glad you did.

• Eccentrics With Allergies: My Aunt Lu, by Monique Attinger at BeAllergyWise
• What you see is not always what you get, by Deb Brown at Need A Little Advice?
• Colorful People Rock, by Todd Jordan at The Broad Brush
• Introduction to Creative Infrastructure 2.0, by Mark Dykeman at Broadcasting Brain
• My Mission in Life, by Becky McCray via Twitter
• What I Learned From a Colorful Character: Eliminate This Word, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, an Editor’s Eye
• What I’ve Learned From… Colorful Characters, by Geoffrey Philp at Geoffrey Philp’s Blogspot
• Do you have to be bad to be noticed? by Jackie Cameron at Jackie Cameron
• Musing About Colorful Characters, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell Inc.

And of course, here’s a few more from yours truly:

• A Bubba Named Hollis , by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

I’d like to thank all those who participated this month, and hope you enjoy some of the wild, weird, and sometimes even whacky stuff that goes on here at the Zone. Don’t forget to drop by next month for another exciting episode of As The World Turns What I Learned From….

And of course, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

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[Note from the Proprietor: This post is an entry for this month’s Middle Zone groupwrite project, What I Learned From Colorful Characters. It’s open for entries until March 7, 2010 and you’re invited to participate – just follow that cute little link and read all about it.]

Over the years, I’ve met my share of colorful characters; I bet you have, too. Despite that, I’m surprised to say can’t really pinpoint exactly what it is that earns someone the description of “colorful”.

I know, I know; chances are you’d agree with me there’s no shortage of folks who are different. But is different the same as colorful? Not necessarily; I’ve run across plenty of folks who are different – yet I no longer remember them.

Maybe the word unusual is a better qualifier. Well, maybe. Whatever the quality is that makes someone colorful in my mind, of all the folks I’ve ever met, ol’ Hollis has to be one of the ones with the mostest.

Just Call Me Bubba

Now, Hollis was what we down here in Texas call a Bubba (also known as a “good ol’ boy”): friendly, big-hearted and generally easy-going – and I’ll tell ya; he sure fit the bill!

Hollis was one of four of us back in college who roomed together during the semester I decided to live off campus (this was back in the early ‘70’s). And if you think the name “Hollis” says volumes about him, well, you’d be right. I mean, this guy was a walkin’ stereotype!

His parents owned a “nice spread” (otherwise known as a ranch to us city slickers) in central Texas. Oh, it wasn’t as big as the King Ranch (which at 1,289 mi² is larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island), but at least it was “comfortable”. (Maybe just the size of Long Island? Er, never mind.)

I always suspected his chosen course of study – range management – had more to do with his parents wishes than his own (I mean, would he have chosen it if they didn’t already own the ranch? Well, maybe.) But one thing I can say with complete confidence – it certainly suited him.

I can still picture as if it were yesterday, that first fateful day I asked Hollis just what in tarnation range management was. He adjusted his big ten-gallon hat, spread his feet apart to get a firm stance, and made fists of his big, ham-sized hands. Then he put ‘em on his hips, stared off at the distant horizon and boomed out, “All right you ranges out there! I want you to form a line for me! Hey – straighten up, you!” (You think I’m kidding? Hey, if you’re readin’ this, Hollis, back me up, won’t you?)

When he went out he wore that hat (seriously – a huge, somewhat worse-for-wear white one), and in more ways than one, reminded me a lot of Hoss Cartright from that old western, Bonanza. He drove a typical student’s car, an old land-yacht-sized rattletrap named, of all things, Maybelline (or maybe it was The Deathmobile; I forget).

Memorable in More Ways Than One

In fact, there were a lot of things about Hollis that were really pretty memorable. (I mean, besides the hat.) For instance…

Every other weekend he went home to visit the folks (and, of course, do what every other student did: get his laundry done). And every Sunday upon returning he’d go through the exact same ritual: walk in the door carrying two bags of groceries and gently set ‘em on the kitchen counter. Then open the cabinet doors over the sink, reach into one of the grocery bags and pull out the two cans of Spam his mom had thoughtfully packed. Put them up in the cabinet (along with the 123 other cans from previous trips home) and shut the door. Then and only then, he’d paste that goofy grin on his face, turn around and ask in all seriousness, “OK, guys, anybody for pizza?” (By the way, if you’re hungry, as far as I know those cans of spam are probably still there. They should be nicely, er, aged by now.)

Then there was the time I brought home a refurbished pay phone and hung it in the kitchen (this was back in the days when you had to buy your own phone from the then-still-a-monopoly phone company). We convinced Hollis he had to put a dime in it to make calls, and it was two weeks before he finally figured out we were kidding! (On the plus side, I did make $3.90 those two weeks. But I digress.)

Trust me; I could go on…

What I Learned From Hollis

Yep; ol’ Hollis was sure a colorful character. But one thing he taught me was that it was truly OK to be a colorful character. I mean sure, most of us know that’s true – and I know that now – but back then I was just a poor Freshman college kid with no idea who I truly was.

See,  all through grade school and high school, I saw other kids around me who were popular, witty, charming, and – dare I say it? – extremely cool. What’s worse, they all seemed to have a level of self-confidence I simply couldn’t match. No matter how I tried, I always ended up geeky, insecure, and just plain scared.

The problem was, I took that attitude with me to college, and unfortunately forsaw nothing that would change anything ahead, I’ll tell ya. And that’s when I met Hollis.

Hollis was… well, different. And not a bad different, he was… well, like a breath of fresh air (or maybe more like a smack in the face with a dead fish). He was loud, brash, a little crazy, and he had no problem bein’ someone who was smirked at by other folks – either behind his back or even to his face – he just flat-out didn’t care.

Yep; in ol’ Hollis, I saw someone who had something I’d always wanted: he was happy with who he was. And I had to admire that, y’know? It was quite the revelation, I’ll tell ya.

So, Did It ‘Take’?

By now you’re probably askin’ the question, Did the lesson ‘take’? Did I finally overcome my truckload of self-conscious mumblings and assert my rightful place in the universe? Did my fellow students point in awe at my overwhelming new-found Coolness as I walked by? Did women, from that moment onward, swoon whenever I entered the room?

Well… no. (In fact, I only know of one woman who ever swooned when I came into the room, and that was because I’d accidentally stepped on a skunk on my way in the door. But that, as they say, is a frog of a different hop.)

Actually, it took me a few further years to finally come to terms with who I was. Or at least, who I was beginning to become, anyway. To tell you the truth, I’m still on that particular journey, so there’s really no tellin’ how it’s gonna end up. One thing I can tell you – the trip’s been a blast so far, I’ll tell ya!

Anyhoo – I just want to send a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to my friend Hollis! Hey, thanks for bein’ you, Bubba, and I hope all those ranges finally lined up for ya!

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Photo credits, top left to bottom right:
1. Colorful Character, 2. Beggars on Stockton Ferry, 3. Colorful characters, 4. colorful characters, 5. It’s good to be the King!, 6. Colourful character, 7. Send in the Clown, 8. No Clowning Around., 9. Four colorful characters

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[Note from the Proprietor: This post is an entry for this month’s Middle Zone groupwrite project, What I Learned From Colorful Characters. It’s open for entries until March 7, 2010 and you’re invited to participate – just follow that cute little link and read all about it.]

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Hey, by a remakable coincidence of space and time, today happens to be the first Monday of the month. And you all know what happens today, right? (sound of people, nodding their heads – and does your neck always make those crackling noises when you do that?)

Yep; it’s that time of the month, folks – no, silly, not that time – it’s time for Episode #31 of As The Worm Turns our monthly What I Learned From… groupwrite project (sound of audience cheering enthusiastically) and you’re invited to join us!

Y’know, over the last few years we’ve had a lot of fun with these projects, touching on all kinds of topics, from What I Learned From the World of Work to What I Learned From Plants. But this time I thought we’d turn to a topic that’s sorta near and dear to my own heart: Colorful Characters (and please, no remarks from the peanut gallery – although you are welcome to throw peanuts).

What IS Colorful, Anyway?

It’s an interesting question, wouldn’t you say? Just what, exactly is it that makes someone colorful, anyway? Oh, I know it’s pretty much in the eye of the beholder and all, but still, there must be some common denominators that we’d agree on, don’cha think?

Well, whatever it is, I know this: over the years I’ve run across quite a few of ‘em, I’ll tell ya, and I bet you have, too! (Come to think of it, I think there might be one in my bathroom mirror – but let’s not go there, ‘K?)

So this month the challenge is to recall one of those colorful characters and tell us a little something about why they stood out to you; maybe even tell us a little something you learned from them, if you did.

What to Do

Now, you are invited as usual to join us this month and share something you’ve learned from any colorful characters you may have run across (and yes, if the description fits, you can even include yourself; just sayin’). C’mon, don’t hold back, y’all; give it to us straight! All you have to do is write a post and send me the link OR you can link to an already written post (it doesn’t matter how far back the link goes, either) about something you learned from them.

It can be any length you like (we’ve had entries as short as one word, believe it or not) and in any format (we have poems, prose, soliloquies and plain ol’ writing). (By the way, you don’t have to stop at one – more is definitely encouraged.)

The project is open from now thru Sunday, March 7^th, at midnight (that’s midnight to me, which is GMT-6 time), so write your post(s) (yes, you can enter more than once!), and send me the links! I’ll post the entire list of entries right here at the Middle Zone on Monday, March 8^th.

And let’s not forget the details…

1. Write a new post (or link to an existing one) on your blog with a link to THIS POST (uh, the one you’re reading now). As I said, feel free to be as eloquent (or concise) as you like. C’mon; show off for us!
2. Send me an email (rhruzek@sbcglobal.net) containing your name, the title of your post, and the permalink of the post. (To make sure I don’t miss it.)

That’s all there is to it! Next Monday, March 8^th, I’ll post the entire list of entries, so be sure and drop by to check ‘em all out.

As always, we have just two simple rules around here:

• For the sake of the general blogging audience, please keep it G-Rated. (Also please note: this is a request, not a demand, since after all it’s your blog and you can do what you want. Fair warning: I can choose to link to you or not.)
• Be nice.

All right, ladies and gentlemen; you know what to do! Grab the writing instrument of your choice and start writing!

[Note from the Proprietor - I realize it takes a little time to write your entries, but would you mind too terribly not waiting until midnight on Sunday night, March 7^th to notify me? Sometimes it can be difficult to get them all compiled by Monday's 6 am post time! I surely thank you, and as a token of my appreciation - have yourself a banana split! Yum!]

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Just to let you know, next Monday we kick off a new What I Learned From… groupwrite project and I forgot to announce the topic earlier!

This month’s topic: Colorful Characters

Got it? OK, grab the writing instrument of your choice and come back on Monday for all the details, won’t you?

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Anyhoo – a big ol’ Yeehaw! is in order for the participants in this month’s groupwrite project: What I Learned From Children. In fact, we had [updated again] 19 entries this time around! (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically)

So take a look at the list below, in which all the entries are listed in the order in which I found ‘em. Do yourself a favor and drop by each writers’ site and start a conversation, why don’cha? You’ll be glad you did.

• What I Learned From Children, by Stephen Smith at …words
• Join the Action! by Kevin Martineau at Shooting the Breeze
• Six Lessons Learned From Children, by Deb Brown at Need a Little Advice?
• What I learned from children, by Todd Jordan at The Broad Brush
• Why – the Most Valuable Word in Business, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell, Inc.
• The tale of the bird, the boy and the big brave steps, by Emma Newman at Post-Apocalyptic Publishing
• What I Learned from My Children: Simplicity, by Meryl at Meryl.net
• What I learned from children, by Paul Merrill at Shiny Bits of Life
• Write, Produce and Direct Your Own Destiny Program(ming), by Jeanne Male at Job Life Architect
• Living Here and Now, by Ulla Hennig at Ulla Hennig’s Weblog
• What I Learned From Children, by Geoffrey Philp at Geoffrey Philp’s Blogspot
• What I Learned From Children, by George Angus at Tumblemoose.com
• What I Learned From MY Children, by Karen Hanarahan at Best of Mother Earth
• What I Learned From… Children, by Stephen Smith at …words
• 5 Elastic Bands and a Shoebox, by Anthony Bibby at Through the Window

And of course, here’s a few more from yours truly:

• Getting the Wrong Impression, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Christmas Day, 2009, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Jump With Joy! by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• The Day I Went Flying, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

I’d like to thank all those who participated this month, and hope you enjoy some of the wild, weird, and sometimes even whacky stuff that goes on here at the Zone. Don’t forget to drop by next month for another exciting episode of As The World Turns What I Learned From….

And of course, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

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Hey, it’s bad enough when your customers get the wrong impression of you or your business. At least when you have a relationship with your customers, you might (at least, hopefully) get the chance to explain.

But what about when your customers give others the wrong impression? What the heck can you do then?

Bus Driver for Hire

Back when I was a starving student at Texas A&M, for spending money I drove shuttle buses around the campus. I’ll tell ya; that was one great job: flexible hours, good pay, and when you got right down to it, pretty easy work.

Probably the hardest part of the job was navigating through the sometimes narrow streets on campus. Generally speaking, that wasn’t too bad a problem – unless, of course, some bonehead parked their car where it shouldn’t have been. Many’s the time I wished we had a handy, er, dozer blade on the front of the bus. But I digress.

Anyway, one day my supervisor asked some of us if we wanted to earn a little extra income by working on an upcoming Saturday. Naturally we all perked up at that – until, that is, we heard what the job actually was. The task, he told us, was to drive the local Jewish elementary school’s children (about 200 or so of the little darlings) from College Station to downtown Houston. Turns out they had arranged a special showing of the stage version of Fiddler on the Roof for the kids, and the best way to get ‘em all there was using our buses.

Well, let’s see… on the one hand, the mental image of driving to Houston with 50 or so screaming elementary kids on my bus for approximately 3 hours – each way – was, well, a mite daunting. (For those of you familiar with the drive, what would normally take a little more than an hour-and-a-half or so would take at least twice as long for this trip because rules required us to drive no faster than 50 miles per hour.) Still, after due consideration, the lure of that extra spending money convinced four of us to finally throw caution to the winds and say, What the hey!

What’s This Got to Do with Beer?

By now you’re probably wondering just what the heck this image of assorted beer bottles has to do with this story. Hey, I’m glad you asked! The fact is, whenever I remember this particular day, it’s the only thing I can think of.

That’s because, for the entire 3-hour drive from College Station to Houston – and then again for the entire drive back – the kids sang what I consider to be the Worlds Stupidest Song: “99 Bottles of Beer”! Just in case you’ve lived under a rock your entire life and have never heard it (congratulations!), it goes like this:

99 bottles of beer on the wall,

99 bottles of beer –

You take one down,

And pass it around –

98 bottles of beer on the wall!

98 bottles of beer on the wall,

98 bottles of beer –

You take one down,

And pass it around –

97 bottles of beer on the wall!

97 bottles of –

Well, you get the picture, right? No kidding, y’all; they sang the entire stupid song down from 99 bottles to 1 – and then started over again. And again. And… again. I’ll tell ya; by the time we arrived at the Music Hall in downtown Houston, I was sorely tempted to let ‘em out – and then leave ‘em all there! Yeesh!

While the kids were inside watching the show, we four drivers found a coffee shop to hang out in. As I sat there, silently contemplating the trip back (with no small amount of dread), one of the other drivers finally broke the silence and asked, “Did your kids… uh, sing any songs on your bus?”

That was when the awful truth was revealed: it wasn’t just my group, but all of ‘em were singing that stupid song! What gives with that, we wondered. Just what the heck were they teaching those kids at that school, anyway?

Getting the Wrong Idea

After about 3.5 nanoseconds, though, I realized it wasn’t really the school’s fault their elementary-aged kids seem to have a fixation on, well, beer. Hey, kids are kids; they’ll do all kinds of things you won’t expect. Nature of the, er, beasts, if you follow me. And I reflected a moment or two on how easy it was to think of the school as bein’ the problem.

It’s really funny sometimes just what kind of impression your customers give of you, isn’t it? I mean, when you get right down to it, that’s something you really don’t have too much control over. Oh, sure; you can do your best to influence, mitigate, or even try to direct the conversation – but when you get right down to it, they’re pretty much gonna do what they’re gonna do.

If you were the principal of this particular school and just read this story, what would you be thinking along about now?

So the question is, how do you handle it when folks get the wrong idea about your business. Or even worse – what if the wrong impression is all about you?

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This is my entry for this month’s “What I Learned From Children” groupwrite project. Hey, you’re welcome to join us – all you have to do is follow this cute little link and read all about it!

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A Little History

Did you know the WILF project has been a (more-or-less) regular feature here at the Middle Zone for almost three years now? Yep; since May of 2007!

Since then there have been 29 editions with 805 entries, on every topic under the sun, including two of my favorites: WILF #11 (What I Learned From Odd Jobs – 43 entries) and WILF #23 (What I Learned From Adversity – 35 entries). Of course, the record for most entries still goes to Blogapalooza ’09 (What I Learned From 2008 – a whopping 128 entries).

Anyhoo – I’m inviting you to join hundreds of others who have participated in projects over the years. It’s really easy; all you have to do is write a post (or you can use an already-written one) that illustrates something you learned – and that has to do with the topic du jour.

This month, the topic is:

WHAT I LEARNED FROM CHILDREN

So the questions you have to ask yourself are this: Have you ever learned something from your children? From someone else’s children? When you were a child yourself? When a friend or acquaintance was a child? When you were standing next to a child? (Like I said, even related to the topic is good enough to qualify.)

How To Participate

All you have to do is send me the link to a post that fits the topic. It can be either new or an existing post, but it has to be from your own blog. I’m accepting entries from now thru Sunday, February 7^th.

So just to review…

1. Write a post (or send me the link to an existing post) on your blog with a link to THIS POST (uh, the one you’re reading now). By the way, feel free to be as eloquent (or concise) as you like.
2. Send me an email (rhruzek@sbcglobal.net) containing your name, the title of your post, and the permalink of the post. (To make sure I don’t miss it.)

That’s all there is to it! Then on Monday, February 8^th, I will post the entire list of entries right here at the Middle Zone; be sure and drop by to check ‘em all out.

As always, we have just two simple rules around here:

• For the sake of the general blogging audience, please keep it G-Rated. (Also please note: this is a request, not a demand, since after all it’s your blog and you can do what you want. Fair warning: I can choose to link to you or not.)
• Be nice.

All right, ladies and gentlemen; you know what to do! Grab the writing instrument of your choice, dig into your archives, and get to it!

[Note from the Proprietor - I realize it takes a little time to write your entries, but would you mind too terribly not waiting until midnight on Sunday night, February 7th to notify me? Sometimes it can be difficult to get them all compiled by Monday's 6 am post time! I surely thank you, and as a token of my appreciation - have yourself a cookie!]

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Hey, in case you’re wondering about the slow week here at the Zone (I’m assuming that’s true – if it ain’t… please don’t disillusion me!) it’s because today’s my birthday and I’ve sorta been layin’ low on purpose.

Don’t you worry ’bout a thing, y’all; I’ll be back on Monday with the kickoff to our next What I Learned From… groupwrite project! See ya then!

In the meantime, I think I’ll have another slice of that cake…

p.s. If you think I did this just to fish for compliments, why I’m shocked – simply shocked you would even suggest such a thing! I would never do that. No, to be honest, I was fishing for presents! Just send your cash or checks to – ouch (sound of blunt object hitting back of head)

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Well, wonder no more! For those of you who may have been wondering what happened to our monthly What I Learned From… groupwrite projects, I’m pleased to announce I’m kicking off the first one for 2010 on next Monday, February 1! (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically)

The topic will be (sound of drum roll) … What I Learned From Children

Now, for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s the deal:

If you’d like to participate, all you have to do is write a post (or link to an existing post) that addresses the topic. Something you learned from, because of, or with the topic du jour (which in this case is, of course, children). Post it on your blog by the project close on Sunday night at midnight, CST (-6 GMT), Feb. 7. Then send me an email with the link (so I don’t miss it). I’ll collect them all and post them right here at the Zone on Monday, Feb. 8.

It’s a great way to have some fun, gain a few links, discover other writers both new and old (hey, who you callin’ old?), and maybe even learn a thing or two. Plus, you get to join the hundreds of entries already submitted for past WILF projects!

Please give some serious thought to joining us, won’t you?

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Welcome to the final post here at Middle Zone Musings for the year 2009 – and what a year it was, I’ll tell ya! Thrills, chills, spills – and that was just at my house! Heaven only knows what happened at yours!

And hey, who knows what amazing things are in store for us next year?

I want to thank all the wonderful folks who have participated, commented, or simply dropped by the Middle Zone this year. A big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya, and thank you from the bottom of my ol’ Texas heart!

Well, here’s the final results from this year’s annual What I Learned From 2009 groupwrite project. We had only 14 entries this time, admittedly a far cry from the 138 entries y’all contributed in last year’s Blogapalooza. But that’s just okey-dokey with me; I’m just honored y’all chose to squeak some time out of your holidays to participate. Really!

I asked y’all to write a post at your own blogs, listing your best, or favorite, or most outrageous (or whatever) posts of the year 2009, then send me the link to your round-up post. So here’s the list of entries, in no particular order. Do yourself a favor and check ‘em all out, y’all; there’s some great writers here:

• The Best of BeAllergyWise Blog for 2009, by Monique Attinger at BeAllergyWise
• The Best of BeAllergyWise News for 2009, by Monique Attinger at BeAllergyWise
• My Most Conversational Posts of 2009, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell
• Old and New Tricks and Issues – What I’ve Learned From 2009, by Alina Popescu at Words of a Broken Mirror
• A Year’s Worth of Posts, by Geoffrey Philp at Geoffrey Philp’s Blogspot
• The Best of Brawise, by Monique Attinger at Brawise
• Favorite Posts of 2009, by Meryl Evans at Meryl.net
• My Essential Lines from 2009, by Joanna Young at Confident Writing
• The Reward of Finding…, by Nancy Kourmoulis at Treasures of Darkness
• What I Learned From… 2009, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, an Editor’s Eye
• Picturing My Way Home, by Joanna Young at Joyful Jubilant Learning
• What I Learned from 2009, by Karen Hanrahan at Best of Mother Earth
• 2009 Life’s Lessons Learned, by Sheila Glazov at Sheila Glazov

And of course, there’s my own entry. It was a mite harder than usual selection the criteria for this WILF. But after much anguished soul-searching, I hit upon this gem of a topic: My “least linked to” posts of 2009 My Most Profound Lessons Learned from 2009:

• A Prolific Profusion of Profound Profundity. Or Something. by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

Now, y’all have a happy and safe finish to the year 2009, and as always, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

See ya next year! Yeehaw!

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I’ll tell ya; it was tough picking the posts to highlight; there’s just so many choices! And deciding the selection criteria was a bear, too. For awhile, it was a close call between “Most Ignored Posts” and “Posts Least Linked To”.

But after much soul-searching (not to mention long hours minutes scanning this year’s posts) I finally decided to call this collection:

My Most Profound Lessons Learned From 2009

• The Perils of Pumpkin Bread (December) – Why it’s always important to include every ingredient in a recipe. I’ll tell ya; it was an aggravating morning – that yielded a valuable lesson!
• The Dangers of Sitting Still (November) – Sometimes you have to see the buzzards circling to realize you may be in danger, y’know? I’ll never sit still again – at least, not out in the open like that!
• Jump With Joy! (October) – Whatever you do, do it with enthusiasm! That’s what I learned from a summer camp, a little kid, and a trampoline.
• Better Pay Attention! (September) – Sometimes there’s plenty of indications that danger lies just ahead, y’know? Sadly, we often don’t pay enough attention to all those little signs. Just sayin’.
• Upwardly Mobile (August) – Reflections on the perils of being upwardly mobile. Sometimes the apparent scariness of the situation is not really all that big a thing. Maybe it just takes – doin’ it.
• What To Do When You Mess Up – Bad (July) – A bit of self-confession here. On occasion, admitting you have a problem is the first step to getting it solved. Or something.
• Exploring New Horizons (June) – A business trip to a small town in Utah led to some very interesting insights that can apply to pretty much anywhere you happen to be – if you’ll just look.
• Moseyin’ Around Downtown Chicago (May) – No doubt about it, attending SOBCon’09 taught me quite a few things about community. But outside of the conference, taking the time to wander around downtown Chicago early one morning was a wonderful bonus. Come walk with me, won’t you?
• The Trouble With Trouble (April) – Without a doubt, the best lesson I’ve ever learned from facing adversity. I’ll admit; it doesn’t make it any easier. But still, there’s comfort in knowing…
• School of Hard Knocks (March) – I just want to go on record here: no matter what conclusion you may come to when you read this one – I still blame the hat! One reason I wear a cowboy hat and not a baseball cap these days.
• From Here to There (February) – Musings on the path often convoluted paths we travel in life. Take it from me; you may not always end up where you thought you would. But then again, you might! Still, it’s the journey, not the destination, that’s interesting.
• What I Learned From Blogapalooza 2009 (January) – Here’s a few things I learned after running last year’s end-of-the-year extravaganza, Blogapalooza 2009. I’ll give you a hint: it’s all about the power of the invitation.

Well, that’s about the size of it, y’all! 12 posts chock full of, well, sumpin’ anyway. But then again, maybe that’s for you to decide, ain’t it?

Hey, here’s to a great finish for 2009!

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[Note from the Proprietor: Hey, you’re invited to join us for this final groupwrite project of the year 2009! Just click on this link: (What I Learned From 2009) and read all about it! Also, I’ve decided to leave it open a bit longer, so I’ll be accepting entries through Sunday, December 27! Lots of time left!]

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Originally the last day for entry was Sunday, December 20, but I’ve extended it for another week until Sunday, December 27 to give everyone just that much more time to squeeze it in. All entries will be posted on Monday, December 28 to wrap up the year here at the Middle Zone.

Be sure to spread the word!

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Hey, since we’re pretty much at the end of the year, the choice of topic this time is probably gonna be pretty obvious, am I right? I mean, what would a year be like without a time of retrospection? Just think (sound of gears grinding) about all the great things you learned this year.

Besides, it’s almost Christmas, y’all! Think of this month’s WILF as your Christmas present from you to all of us: it’s your chance to give us your best, y’know?

Yessir; all those great posts you’ve written, the veritable plethora of lessons learned, not to mention all those wonderful memories you’ve stuffed into the ol’ memory banks. Well, this month, you have the opportunity to share the best of ‘em with the rest of us!

How It Works

So, your assignment for this month’s WILF, should you decide to accept it, is to compose a post listing your favorite posts (or your most popular, or whatever criteria you want; it’s your choice this month!) from your own blog posted during 2009. Simple, right? Hey, that’s what I thought!

Oh, and I’m aware some folks may already be doing something similar. If so, then just send me the link and I’ll include it. (In other words, it doesn’t have to be a new post.)

And, for each post you mention, for the sake of your audience don’t forget to include a word or two about why you chose it. After all, you want to give folks a reason to drop by and read, right? OK, now list your links in a post, include a few words about each, and post it at your blog. Then, send me the link to your compilation post. That’s all there is to it! (See? I told you it was easy!)

I’ll collect the links to your posts and post ‘em here. (NOTE: Normally, WILFs are open to entries for only one week. But this month I’m giving you lots more time since most of us are pretty busy around this time of year.)

What To Do [NOTE - UPDATED!]

NOTE the longer time frame this month! The project is open from now thru Sunday, December 27, at midnight (that’s midnight to me, which is GMT-5 time). I’ll post the entire list of entries on Monday, December 28, just in time for the new year.

And let’s not forget the details…

1. Write a post (or send me the link to an existing post) on your blog with a link to THIS POST (uh, the one you’re reading now). By the way, feel free to be as eloquent (or concise) as you like.
2. Send me an email (rhruzek@sbcglobal.net) containing your name, the title of your post, and the permalink of the post. (To make sure I don’t miss it.)

That’s all there is to it! Then on Monday, December 28, I will post the entire list of entries right here at the Middle Zone; be sure and drop by to check ‘em all out.

As always, we have just two simple rules around here:

• For the sake of the general blogging audience, please keep it G-Rated. (Also please note: this is a request, not a demand, since after all it’s your blog and you can do what you want. Fair warning: I can choose to link to you or not.)
• Be nice.

All right, ladies and gentlemen; you know what to do! Grab the writing instrument of your choice, dig into your archives, and get to it!

[Note from the Proprietor - I realize it takes a little time to write your entries, but would you mind too terribly not waiting until midnight on Sunday night, December 27 to notify me? Sometimes it can be difficult to get them all compiled by Monday's 6 am post time! I surely thank you, and as a token of my appreciation - have yourself a cookie!]

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Anyhoo – All I’m sayin’ is, I think a big ol’ Yeehaw! is in order for the participants in this month’s groupwrite project: What I Learned From Limits! In fact, we had 22 entries this time, including two guest posts from Kay Plantes and Chris Garrett (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically).

So take a look at the list below, in which all the entries are listed in the order in which I found ‘em. Do yourself a favor and drop by each writers’ site and start a conversation, why don’cha? You’ll be glad you did!

• What I Learned From Limits, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, an Editor’s Eye
• 2 Word Limit, by Joanna Young at Confident Writing
• The Old Man and the Mountain, by Steve Woodruff at Steve’s Leaves
• What I learned from limits in Genealogy, by Tina Didreckson at Windows Live
• Twitter and Writing Within Limits, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell, Inc.
• What I Learned From Limits, by Meryl at Meryl.net
• Non-Competes, Health Insurance, and Other Ugly Limits to Innovation, by Fred Schlegel at Frog Blog
• Limits? What Limits? By Geoffrey Philp at Geoffrey Philp’s Blogspot
• What I Learned From the 24 Hour a Day Limit, by Chris Garrett at Middle Zone Musings (guest post)
• What I Learned From the Limits of Allergies, by Monique Attinger at BeAllergyWise.com
• What I Learned From Limits, by Sally Ferguson at Sally’s Words
• The Power of Vision, by Kay Plantes at Middle Zone Musings (guest post)
• What I Learned From Self-Imposed Limits, by Avil Beckford at The Invisible Mentor

And of course, here’s a few more from yours truly:

• 5 Things I Learned From Driving Around in Circles, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Impenetrable, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• The Day I Went Flying, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Paths and Boundaries, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Limitations and Opportunities: What I Learned From a Ferry Ride, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• The Day I Decided to, er, Get Help, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Overcoming Barriers, Part 1, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Overcoming Barriers, Part 2, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings
• Language Barrier, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

I’d like to thank all those who participated this month, and hope you enjoy some of the wild, weird, and sometimes even whacky stuff that goes on here at the Zone. Don’t forget to drop by next month for another exciting episode of As The World Turns What I Learned From…!

And of course, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

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Kay Plantes asked me if I would be willing to post the following article because she felt it was “a story that needed telling”. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good account of how the power of vision can make all the difference to the tale of success. And, in an amazing display of serendipity, it also happens to fit neatly into our What I Learned From Limits groupwrite project this month! Way to go, Kay!

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Seeking: College-town of 20,000+ college students, with 10,000+ year-round residents, active nightlife and eclectic cultural tastes to locate a unique pizza restaurant

Ian Gurfield, an Amherst University college student, created this vision statement during an academic semester in Italy. Following a post-graduation cross-country trip through America’s college towns, he chose Madison, opening Frances Street Ian’s in the heart of UW’s nightlife.

Ten years later Gurfield owns multiple Madison businesses, his vision far more sophisticated, evolving due to his curiosity, willingness to experiment and tenacity. Admirably, he’s held “not knowing” until the right answers emerged.

Gurfield opened a second Ian’s on State Street to retain an ambitious business partner and capture traffic at Madison’s Capitol Square.  He discovered the challenges of multiple businesses and that a winning location is necessary but not sufficient.  By expanding the space to offer eat-in dining, Gurfield found success.  A restaurant on Chicago’s Clark Street also joined the mix.

Ian’s also grew synergistically using new products.  A local, organic frozen yogurt recently joined salads and brownies on the menus.  A staging kitchen will soon open on Willy Street, relieving stores of ingredient preparation. To speed financial payback, the kitchen will run a retail bakery modeled after Portland, Maine’s Standard Bakery.

Through all this, Gurfield struggled with Ian’s longer-term vision. Growth for the sake of growth wasn’t important, but retaining talent is, and that requires growth.  Furthermore, according to Gurfield, “Franchising wouldn’t work as we’d lose the local-owner-as-manager climate critical to creating Ian’s unique taste and experience.”

Ian’s recently completed 2020 Vision is a best-practice example of visioning for a number of reasons. The vision:

• Is specific and unique—not the generic statements so many leaders settle for.  For example, by 2020 Ian’s will have created 16 businesses, with at least 10 retail pizza restaurants, and in at least two geographic areas. A central entity, Ian’s Soul Central, will establish best practices across sites and offer marketing, financial and management services. An internal investment bank (open to employee investment) will fund expansion.
• Is inspiring—capturing what matters most (such as sustainability and good jobs) to the people who will transform reality into vision.
• Is strategic—setting a direction, not merely elusive goals. Gurfield’s vision work solved how Ian’s will grow while still retaining the individual identity and entrepreneurship vital to any one location’s success. Ian’s will be a federation of independently owned companies (at least two per city) that share knowledge and central services to help entrepreneurs overcome an otherwise lonely, challenging journey. Ian’s Soul Central will also convene a board of managing partners, each overseeing a city’s individual operator-owner companies, like State Street Ian’s Pizza that Lexy Frautschy now fully owns.
• Stretches from today. Ian’s hiring and training practices will be recognized nationally, for example.
• Yet, is rooted in the company’s DNA. Ian’s will always focus on exceptional ingredients, expertly prepared – “A business with pizzazz, not pizza” – and a rewarding environment for team players, all Gurfield core values.
• Clarifies what’s in and out. After completing the vision work, Gurfield learned that an associate’s father had unused organic farmland. Immediately he saw a fit, given Ian’s commitment to sustainable business practices and starting new businesses. Yet another federation member is born.

What does your vision statement say about your organization? If it reflects a “check the box, did that” activity, start again.  Defining your vision is at the heart of thinking and leading strategically.

Kay Plantes helps business leaders make better strategy decisions, faster. Her 20-year old firm, Plantes Company, LLC works with leaders to redefine their organization’s business model to secure higher profits and growth. The MIT-trained economist writes a weekly blog on business model innovation, http://www.plantescompany.com/blog and is author of Beyond Price: Differentiate Your Business in Ways that Really Matter (Greenleaf Bookgroup, 2009) http://www.beyondpricebook.com

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