It’s just an ordinary unbrella.

In fact, as umbrellas go, it’s actually not really that good. Oh, sure; it keeps the rain off ya. But still; it’s kinda small, and not all that well-made. It hangs on one of the doorknobs on the inside of the doors to my home office.

Every time I close the doors (like when I’m on the phone – or, er, hiding from household chores), I see it hanging there. It’s not that it represents that big an investment (it cost me less than 4 dollars) or that it works particularly well (it’s so small it barely covers the heads of two people – and we’re talkin’ two really close people!)

If you go around the corner, in the coat closet are bigger, better umbrellas galore. There’s one or two that fold up really small, yet somehow manage to spread out to a quite impressive size. I’ve also got two “golf” umbrellas (so-called because they’re big enough to swing a golf club under without you or the club getting wet.)

Yet this one is my favorite. Why is that, you ask? Well, as you may have guessed, it’s because it reminds me of a special time, and a special place: this is the umbrella I bought underneath the Eiffel Tower on the day we visited back in April of 2000. (In case you’re interested, I recommend you read about that fateful day in my story, Ah, Paris in the Spring. Trust me, it’ s well worth it.)

Anyhoo; that’s the real value of this little inexpensive gizmo; that it brings back a rush of wonderful memories of Mrs. MZM and I when we were in Paris. And I’ll tell ya; there’s no way to put a price on that!

When you think about it, it’s amazing the power a simple little object can hold, isn’t it? In fact, there’s an amazing number of objects around our house that are simple little things – things like a stone, a piece of driftwood, or a garage sale purchase – that truly fill our hearts and minds with memories every time we see ‘em. I bet it’s the same at your house.

So What’s YOUR Object?

So for today, let’s share a few good memories together. Take a moment and pick out your favorite item around the house, won’t you? Maybe it’s something that reminds you of a wonderful friend, a devoted spouse, or even a beautiful view you’re reminded of.

Now, down in the comment box, why don’t you tell us what it is, where you got it, and what it brings to mind, won’t you? I’ll leave the light on for ya.

I was in the grocery store the other day when, turning a corner, I was greeted by a stack of those big sacks of dog food. You know the ones, right? The kind Marmaduke the Great Dane would make a light snack of.

Anyway, take note of the brand name: Old Yeller.

Well, I don’t mind tellin’ ya folks; I was a mite taken aback!

Notice the brand name just above the word “Old”. My first thought was, those folks over at the Mouse Kingdom oughtta know better! I mean, doesn’t anybody remember: the dog died at the end!

Sheesh.

Anyhoo; it made me think about how brand names, no matter how appropriate – or ridiculous – come about.

Oh, sure; most likely there had to be some sort of testing done. ( I have this vision of a room full of dogs. The tester says, “Doggie Bits”, then counts the number of barks it generates. “OK, four. Now, how about ‘Old Yeller’? Aha; 10 barks! ‘Old Yeller it is!”)

Awright; maybe they were people instead of dogs. But I gotta wonder; did anyone in that group ever see the movie? Most likely, if they were from my generation they probably did. But younger folk may not have – and subsequently not know about the sad – and if you’re a kid, rather traumatic – ending.

Who would want to remember that every time they fed their faithful family pet? It’s kinda like sayin’, “Here ya go, Rufus; eat up, ’cause tomorrow you die!”

What about it? Anyone else thinkin’ the same way as me, or am I, er, barkin’ up the wrong tree? (Sorry.)

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Photo: Old Yeller Dog Food, by Robert Hruzek

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There’s an old sayin’ that goes something like this: Great things come to those who wait. (Come to think of it, isn’t that the tagline from a ketchup commercial?)

Well, take it from me, it’s an old saying, ‘K? But as sayings go, isn’t there something missing? I mean, if all it took to receive great things was to wait, I’d be a rich and famous zillionaire several times over by now, y’know?

Obviously something’s missing.

Personally, I think the missing element to that particular sayin’ is, well, the challenge of workin’ for that great thing, don’cha think? I mean, sure having something nice fall unexpectedly in your lap is a favorite daydream for pretty much all of us, right? But how often does that happen? Not much, Bubba!

No, the most common, and likely more appreciated “great” things we receive these days are things we earn. Things we work for. They’re our just rewards for hard work or effort of something we had to do, y’know? And they’re not unexpected; no, not at all! They’re the prize for a job well done.

Cape Lookout, Oregon

A while back while living up in Oregon, Mrs. MZM and I took a weekend off to sorta tour the scenery along the coastline. I’ll tell ya; that is some beautiful country! I wouldn’t mind too much living in those parts permanently; in my humble opinion it’s got some of the finest coastline in the entire U.S., bar none.

Anyway, we were moseyin’ along in sightseein’ mode, toolin’ north along Hiway 101, when we noticed a sign pointing to something called Cape Lookout. Now it seems to me, one really fine way to catch a terrific scenic view of a coastline is to view it from a cape. So, we turned west on what was named, appropriately enough, Cape Lookout Road and prepared to be amazed.

Well, the road went up, then it went down. Then it twisted, then it turned, then it pretty much did the hokey-pokey and turned us all around! I’m tellin’ ya, I had NO idea which way we were goin’! (I had visions of rescue parties searching vainly for our vehicle… once someone realized we were lost, of course.) Eventually, though, we ended up at the top of a hill, and off to the side was the Cape Lookout parking area. Somehow we made it!

To our surprise, though, there was absolutely no view whatsoever. According to the sign, you had to *ahem* hike out to the point for the rumored view. (Up until now I’d heard of “hiking”, but have never actually seen it. Must be something those native Oregonians do…) Needless to say, we were a mite taken aback; talk about your bait-and-switch! It seemed kinda cruel to promise a spectacular view, then make you work for it, y’know? And worse, it looked like the trail led into a rather dense forest. What about the lions, tigers and bears (we said)? Oh, my!

Still, the promise of glorious sights… Anyway, we decided to throw caution to the winds and give it a shot. So we headed off into the deep, dark woods, keepin’ our eyes peeled for the aforementioned critters. Luckily, the trail appeared to be quite well travelled, so it was easy to follow. No breadcrumbs necessary at all.

I have to admit, once we got into it, the walk turned almost magical. The bright sunlight dimmed considerably as it filtered through the boughs of innumerable huge redwoods and other big trees.  The ground was covered by dense undergrowth, muting our steps, and everywhere the rich scent of green filled our noses with the perfume of rainforest. It was amazing!

The trail kept on going, and before too long we began to wonder just how far it might be. I mean, we were on a cape, so I figured we could only get so far in any direction before we got our feet wet, y’know? But after 20 minutes, there was still nothing but forest around us. I was about ready to turn back.

Finally, up ahead on the left, there seemed to be a much brighter area on the trail. That meant a clearing of some kind, so we decided to see if there were anything to see before turning back. It was like coming up to a corner of a building, then turning the corner and having this… incredible vista spread out in front of us!

Alas, that photo up there simply can’t do it justice. I’m guessin’ we were maybe 300 feet above sea level, and the way the sun played with the clouds and the mist thrown up by the wind… well, it was quite a sight! To this day, we’re grateful we had a chance to see it – even if we did have to work for it, y’know?

Keepin’ Your Eye on the Prize

I’ve said it before and it bears repeating: good things come to those who are willing to do what is necessary to achieve them. (Yes, I really said that; see my guest post at Confident Writing) And what’s really wonderful about those good things that – finally – come along is, they’re all the sweeter for the effort you had to put into it!

That’s the great reward for what you had to do. It’s like the goals you’ve focused on all these days, weeks or even years; when you finally hit the finish line, it’s sweeter than a big ol’ bowl of Blue Bell Banana Pudding Ice Cream! (And trust me Bubba; that’s some sweet dish!)

I’ll tell ya; the incredible view we got that day – it’ll always stay with us (and I don’t just mean as a photo, either). No, it was an all-the-more-fantastic and beautiful reward for the effort it took to find it!

So what prize have you got in your sights right now? Have you expended the effort to reach it? How much longer do you think it’ll take to achieve? What advice would YOU give someone in your place? Drop your suggestions in the comment box and let’s share the wealth of experience we represent with each other! Don’t worry; I’ll leave the light on.

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Photo: Windy Day on the Oregon Coast, by Robert Hruzek

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Have you ever heard this expression: “engraved in stone”? Generally speaking, it refers to something so sure, so predictable, it’s practically a foregone conclusion.

For example, it’s almost a sure thing that every time I drive by a certain well-known national chain ice cream parlor, I have to wrestle with the steering wheel on my car to keep the danged thing from pulling into their drive. Mrs. MZM would say that behavior is practically engraved in stone, y’know? (Alas, that’s a tough one to break; it’s, er, part of how I lost my *ahem* youthful figure – and ended up on this here diet!)

Anyhoo; the thing is, that behavior didn’t just happen overnight. Nope; I had to build it over time.

Building a Bad Habit

Back in 1985, when we first lived in Greenville, South Carolina, the road that took me from home to the office passed right by one of those aforementioned ice cream places. No big deal, you say? Well, this one had something we’d never seen at one of these things before: a drive-through window!

Alas, it was a recipe for disaster! (Well, I gotta admit, the inclination was already there.) All it took to cause me make a bat-turn in the middle of the road and slide up to the window, tires squealing like a stunt driver’s take a left instead of heading straight home after work was that extra little convenience.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the results began to show up on the ol’ waistline, y’know?

But that’s the way bad habits work, don’t they? It may be something subtle at first, but you know how it goes, right? Before too long, it’s become a habit and you’re hooked! The problem, as we all know, is that once formed, bad habits can be oh-so-hard to get rid of. That’s because the behavior that produced the habit has become ingrained in our life.

What to do? Well, the best way to avoid the problem is to keep the bad habit from forming in the first place, right? So how do you head those pesky little things off at the pass?

How To Avoid Bad Habits

Here’s a couple of tips you can try. You just have to, y’know, do ‘em.

Know Yourself – Probably the most important weapon in your arsenal is to know your own strengths. And while you’re at it, get to know your weaknesses, too. I  mean, if you don’t even like ice cream, then Bubba, you ain’t got no problem at all when the ol’ Ice Cream Angel calls your name, right? Alas, most of us don’t fall into that category, so consequently have to admit that particular temptation has legs. But as they say in practically every guide to problem-solving I’ve ever read, the first step to solving a problem – is admitting there’s a problem! That ol’ sayin’, “forewarned is forearmed” has never been more true!

Know Your  Goals – The thing is, when it comes to this particular brand of ice cream, well, let’s just say if one of my goals was to become the World’s “Biggest” Project Manager and get my name in the record books, then I was certainly on the right track! However, since it, um, wasn’t, then obviously it wasn’t gonna help, y’know? Most of the time, all it takes is just a little thought to realize what’s good for your goals – and what’s not. Then all you have to do is, y’know, do the right thing.

Know Your Decisions Ahead of Time – Here’s the best weapon of all, and trust me on this, it’s something we can all do. Knowing that ice cream parlor was there (and I was pretty much forced to drive by it every day) well, I had to make the decision to NOT turn in – before the place was even in sight. I know it sounds simple, and it is. But the fact is, decisions of this nature just naturally are so much easier when you’re not in the midst of the battle, so to speak. Just decide , right now, what you’re going to do. Then, when it comes time to actually do it, you’ll find it so much easier!

Are There More Ways?

So what about you guys? How do you avoid bad habits? I’ve only listed three things; there’s bound to be lots more. Leave your suggestions in the comment box and let’s all have a big belly laugh learn something!

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Photo: Engraved in Stone, by Robert Hruzek

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I would say it’s a truism that pretty much everybody wants to “get ahead” to some degree, don’cha think? I mean sure, there’s probably a few folks completely satisfied with where they happen to be in life, but most of us haven’t quite gotten there yet, y’know? The only problem is… well, sometimes the path may seem a mite scary, don’t it?

Now, why should that be? I mean, it’s probably something you’ve been thinkin’ about for some time now, right? But don’t you find yourself thinkin’, down in your heart of hearts, Am I really sure I can do it? For one thing, you probably don’t really know what it’s like up there, right? I mean, you may have some idea, but what if you end up overextending yourself, exposing for all the world that you really don’t know what the heck you’re doing?

What if you finally move up to that next level – and instead of earning those accolades you truly deserve, you end up doin’ the crash-and-burn instead?

Hey, if you’re anything like me (and if so then sincere condolences to ya!), I bet your mind has replayed these thoughts – or perhaps something similar – to yourself a time or two. Especially when it came time to makin’ that move for advancement, right? Or, not even necessarily advancement; it just coulda been something you’ve never done before. Heck, maybe you were even simply starting a new job. You know; those “first day” blues, when it feels like you’re bein’ watched by everyone else to see if you really measure up.

I’ll tell ya; that feeling – well, it’s pretty common. The fact is, we all get a mite nervous when it comes time to proving that what we believe about ourselves is really true, y’know?

The Dragon Stairs

During my stay in Taiwan back in 2000, I had a driver that took me to and from work. Believe me, that was a real blessing! All those zillions of cars, myriads of scooters and motorcycles – and everyone driving like a maniac. Yeesh!

Depending on the weather or the traffic density (or heck; for all I knew it coulda been based on the current phase of the moon), we usually followed three or four different routes to the office. I’ll tell ya; I really got to enjoy being driven to work; it gave me plenty of time to see the sights along the way. I’m just sorry I wasn’t blogging back then; I probably would have noticed a lot more…

Anyway, one day we passed a certain spot and out of the corner of my eye a… something caught my attention. Unfortunately, by the time my brain did a double-take made me turn to look again, it was gone. I found myself wondering if I’d really seen what I thought I saw. So what did I see, you ask? It was a… well, if my momma hadn’t taught me not to swear, I woulda sworn I saw a big, um, er, dragon.

OK, I knew it couldn’t be a real dragon. Unfortunately, we’d already turned a corner on the narrow street and whatever I saw was already out of sight. But I resolved to look for it the next time we came that way.

A few days later, we passed the same spot again, and sure enough, it was a dragon! I tapped the driver on the shoulder, held up my camera and pointed. He smiled and pulled over, and I shot these two images of what I now call the Dragon Stairs.

One thing you have to remember. In Chinese cultures, dragons aren’t terrifying creatures; they’re good luck symbols. Thus, I imagine when the monks who live here used these stairs, they weren’t figuratively entering danger. No, they were partaking of a lucky omen.

You gotta admit, though; in Western cultures the dragon is a pretty scary critter, y’know? And somehow, even knowing it’s good luck in the minds of the monks at this temple wouldn’t prevent a slight involuntary shudder if I had to use these stairs. So bear in mind, what I have to say reflects my Western upbringing, ‘K? I’m just sayin’.

Here Be Dragons

Anyway, while contemplating being “upwardly mobile”, well, I kinda though about those stairs, y’know?

Like I said at the beginning, sometimes (OK, maybe most of the time), it can be kinda scary to move up to a level above what you’re used to (and are familiar with). That’s only natural; we all feel a bit of trepidation when we face the unknown, no matter how prepared you feel you are.

I’ll give you an example that’s happened to me quite a few times.

Every time I start a new project, there are new people to get to know, a new set of clients to deal with, a new project manager. And I know they have certain expectations of me when I come on board.

And that’s to be expected, right? After all, they’ve all reviewed my resume, perhaps talked to a few of the folks I’ve worked with before – or not – and they’ve built up this, well, expectation of who I’ll be and what I’ll accomplish for them.

But the reality is, unless I’ve worked for them before, they don’t really know. So there’s pressure on me to perform, right? And that’s the scary part. Despite the confidence in my own abilities – not to mention experience – I still can’t help feel a mite “on the spot”, if you get my meanin’.

In fact, it’s a lot like it would be for me if I had to use those Dragon Stairs. Sure, it’s a mite scary lookin’, but if I’m headed upstairs, then there’s pretty much no choice, right? So I gird my loins, screw my hat down tighter, and (gulp), walk right into the dragon’s mouth. Hey, I know it’s only a stairway. But still, those teeth sure look sharp, y’know? (he said, laughing nervously)

But once I arrive on the next floor up, everything is all right again. I can no longer see the dragon, and it no longer bothers me. In fact, next time I take the stairs, I’d probably not be so nervous anymore. And soon there’ll come a time when I may not even notice that ol’ dragon’s teeth!

Until, um, maybe the next move up.

Food For Thought

As I said, probably most of us have experienced the “upwardly mobile” thing – or something like it – at least once. So today I have some homework for ya.

I want you to take a few minutes and think about what it was like the last time you “moved up”, “stuck your neck out”, “expanded your horizon”, or whatever you want to call it. Try to remember how you felt during the experience, who you encountered along the way, and as many details as you can. Then consider the following questions:

1. When was the last time you made a move upwards? You know what I mean, right? That time you took a chance and did something you’d never done before. You stepped out on faith and started a business, or you went for that promotion, or maybe you presented a proposal to your boss for a new line of business? What was it?
2. Think about the fears you encountered when first planning your move. What were they? Looking back on it now, were they realistic or unfounded? Compare how you feel about them now with how you felt about them then. Did you get support from coworkers, friends, mentors, etc., or was it an opportunity only you seemed to grasp?
3. What did you do to counter those fears? Were there any particular folks who helped you? In what way did their help make the difference?
4. If you had the opportunity, would you do it again? Why or why not?
5. Is there anyone you know who may be facing a similar situation – and could use some encouragement or help right now?

If you like, share your thoughts on the above questions in the comment box below. Heck, write about it at your own place and share the link with us here; we’d love to be a part of it! Don’t be shy; let’s learn together, shall we?

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Photos by Robert Hruzek

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Have you ever tried to ignore trouble? Yeah, thought so. (No need to raise your hand; you know who you are.)

Doesn’t work, does it? Somehow, it has a way of finding you anyway.

Aruba, 1994

Back in the summer of 1994 I spent about 4 months working at a refinery in Aruba. (Yeah, yeah, I know; it’s a dirty job, but somebody had to do it.) Without going into a long, drawn-out explanation of just exactly how it happened, Mrs. MZM and I decided to rent a house instead of me staying in the company-supplied trailer.

Anyhoo; what you see in this photo is a view from our back porch, looking out toward the, uh, “lawn”. Now, in Aruba (which is essentially a desert island), water is incredibly expensive, so growing grass was pretty much out of the question unless you had the water budget of a large hotel. However, as you can see, we still had plenty of bushes and trees to liven up the place and give it that homey quality. Bananas, papayas, limes; it was a fruit-lover’s paradise, I’m tellin’ ya!

However, all wasn’t sweetness and light, mind you. One drawback to livin’ on a Caribbean island are the (ugh!) ever-present iguanas. Them critters are pretty much everywhere – especially around where people live. I remember once laying out my towel on the beach at the Marriott (anyone can use any beach; it’s a law), and having an attendant quickly run up and warn me against laying on the sand. Doing so, it seemed, would likely result in an iguana tiptoeing across my tummy! They highly recommended using one of the zillions of chaise lounges to elevate my body off the sand. Apparently, iguana claws can cause some serious cuts!

Like I said, iguanas were everywhere, and our backyard was no exception. But they weren’t the only animals wandering around. Oh, no! There are herds of wild burros wandering around, checking out the trashcans whenever they can. (In fact, heaven help you if you didn’t chain your trash can lids down on trash day. You’ll be wandering around for hours tryin’ to find ‘em otherwise, ’cause those sneaky burros know how to knock the lids off  of the cans. Then, of course, the wind’ll blow the lids down the street for blocks!) Oh, and not to mention scads of loose dogs and cats…

Trouble Approaches

One day, Mrs. MZM happened to observe this little drama playing out in the yard. If you look closely just to the left of center in the photo, you’ll notice that horizontal line there. It’s an iguana, about three feet long. And, just to the right of him, about three or four feet away, is a cat. Although it looks like he’s unaware of the approaching lizard, he was actually sorta watching the iguana approach out of the corner of his eye, while pretending he hadn’t a care in the world.

Now think about it for a moment, won’t you? Here’s this… well, living dinosaur approaching, and the cat sits there, pretending there’s no problem! I mean, I’ve always considered cats to be pretty smart critters, but maybe this particular cat really IS stupid, y’know?

So lemme ask ya: If that iguana and cat ever get together, who do you think will be the most likely winner of that particular battle of wills? Yup; my money’s on the lizard.

Plan Ahead!

Yep; trouble is like that. If you see it comin’, you’d best do something about it before it arrives. You know why? Because once trouble has dropped in, you’re likely gonna be a mite too busy to decide what to do then, y’know? Far better if you make your important decisions ahead of time.

Just sayin’.

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Photos:

Who’s Stalking Who, Anyway? by Robert Hruzek

Who’s Stalking Who, Anyway? Detail

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Sometimes it takes a different view of life to see past the “usual”. Maybe even… looking at things upside down?

Here’s an example of what I mean.

It’s Only a Shadow

There’s this beanery Mrs. MZM and I enjoy eating at not far from our home. Oh, it’s not that it’s anything special, exactly; it’s just that it’s in an area we enjoy just strolling around in. (I also like their bacon cheeseburgers, but alas, since startin’ this diet, I gotta cut back a mite. But that’s another story…)

Anyhoo, they have a nice outdoor seating area that, when the weather is nice, can be a great place to spend a few hours. (Sometimes there’s nothing more fun than just sittin’ and watchin’ people. Just sayin’.)

The afternoon sun had gotten a bit low, and it was time to head back to the house. As we threaded our way through the tables outside, I noticed the interesting light/shadow effects of a set of table and chairs on the patio. Naturally, I whipped out the ol’ phone and shot a photo.

It wasn’t until uploading the original photo that I had my first good look at it, though. A fine photo, if I do say so myself! I liked the near-monochromatic tones of the image, the delicate contrasts of light and dark. But then out of the blue, a somewhat whimsical thought struck me (sound of dull thud). What if I… turned the image upside down?

The results, as you can see, are pretty amazing.

There’s almost an, I dunno, Alice-in-Wonderland character to the chair shapes now that wasn’t there before. And all because I simply decided to look at the picture from a different point of view.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept

So the question I have for ya today is, what mundane, ordinary things are going on around you right now? What if you looked at life from a completely different angle today? What remarkable and interesting things would YOU discover?

Why not try something fun? Here’s your mission for this week, should you choose to accept it. Find something ordinary; something you’ve probably seen a thousand times before and never gave a second thought. If possible, photograph it. Try looking at it differently, and see what you discover. Then, write about it. Link back to this post so we can all discover what you did.

Hey, what have you got to lose? Try it. You may be surprised!

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Photo: Shadow Seating, by Robert Hruzek

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