last data update: 1969/12/31, 16:00
Website loading time
during the test: 0.38 s
cable connection (average): 0.59 s
DSL connection (average): 0.81 s
modem (average): 12.05 s
HTTP headers
HTTP/1.0 200 OK
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:53:33 GMT
Server: LiteSpeed
Connection: close
Last-Modified: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:25:13 GMT
Vary: Cookie
Expires: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:25:13 GMT
Pragma: public
Cache-Control: public, must-revalidate, proxy-revalidate
ETag: 1de8d0064f4f62568897c744a86c8a99
X-Powered-By: W3 Total Cache/0.9.2.4
X-Pingback: http://middlezonemusings.com/xmlrpc.php
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
X-Powered-By: PleskLin
Information about DNS servers
goodway.com | MX | 10 | mail.goodway.com | IN | 7200 |
goodway.com | SOA | cbru.br.ns.els-gms.att.net | rm.hostmasters.att.com | 2006020911 | 10800 900 604800 7200 IN 7200 |
goodway.com | A | 72.3.239.223 | IN | 7200 | |
goodway.com | NS | ns1.snet.net | IN | 43200 | |
goodway.com | NS | ns2.snet.net | IN | 43200 | |
goodway.com | NS | cbru.br.ns.els-gms.att.net | IN | 43200 | |
goodway.com | NS | cmtu.mt.ns.els-gms.att.net | IN | 43200 | |
activetop.com | A | 208.109.181.78 | IN | 3600 | |
activetop.com | MX | 10 | mailstore1.secureserver.net | IN | 3600 |
activetop.com | MX | 0 | smtp.secureserver.net | IN | 3600 |
activetop.com | SOA | ns43.domaincontrol.com | dns.jomax.net | 2008070300 | 28800 7200 604800 86400 IN 43200 |
activetop.com | NS | ns43.domaincontrol.com | IN | 3600 | |
activetop.com | NS | ns44.domaincontrol.com | IN | 3600 | |
frets.pl | MX | 10 | mail.frets.pl | IN | 43200 |
frets.pl | SOA | frets.pl | root.frets.pl | 2010082401 | 21600 7200 1209600 172800 IN 43200 |
frets.pl | A | 78.47.57.84 | IN | 43200 | |
frets.pl | NS | ns1.pytac.pl | IN | 43200 | |
frets.pl | NS | ns2.pytac.pl | IN | 43200 | |
lockerzturkiye.com | SOA | ns319.sayfa.net | hostmaster.lockerzturkiye.com | 2011072201 | 14400 3600 1209600 86400 IN 14400 |
lockerzturkiye.com | A | 213.128.82.235 | IN | 14400 | |
lockerzturkiye.com | TXT | v=spf1 a mx ip4:213.128.82.235 ~all | Array | IN | 14400 |
lockerzturkiye.com | MX | 10 | mail.lockerzturkiye.com | IN | 14400 |
lockerzturkiye.com | NS | ns320.sayfa.net | IN | 14400 | |
lockerzturkiye.com | NS | ns319.sayfa.net | IN | 14400 | |
middlezonemusings.com | TXT | v=spf1 a mx ptr mx:mail.middlezonemusings.com a:mail.middlezonemusings.com ?all | Array | IN | 43200 |
middlezonemusings.com | MX | 10 | mx.middlezonemusings.com.cust.b.hostedemail.com | IN | 43200 |
middlezonemusings.com | A | 199.204.137.97 | IN | 43200 | |
middlezonemusings.com | SOA | ns1.p07.dynect.net | rhruzek.sbcglobal.net | 2010112112 | 3600 600 604800 60 IN 43200 |
middlezonemusings.com | NS | ns3.p07.dynect.net | IN | 43200 | |
middlezonemusings.com | NS | ns2.p07.dynect.net | IN | 43200 | |
middlezonemusings.com | NS | ns4.p07.dynect.net | IN | 43200 | |
middlezonemusings.com | NS | ns1.p07.dynect.net | IN | 43200 |
Received from the first DNS server
Request to the server "middlezonemusings.com"
You used the following DNS server:
DNS Name: ns1.snet.net
DNS Server Address: 204.60.0.2#53
DNS server aliases:
HEADER opcode: REQUEST, status: NOERROR, id: 9110
flag: qr rd REQUEST: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 13, ADDITIONAL: 13
REQUEST SECTION:
middlezonemusings.com. IN ANY
AUTHORITY SECTION:
com. 81958 IN NS c.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS g.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS m.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS l.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS e.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS b.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS a.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS h.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS d.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS f.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS j.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS i.gtld-servers.net.
com. 81958 IN NS k.gtld-servers.net.
SECTION NOTES:
c.gtld-servers.net. 65849 IN A 192.26.92.30
g.gtld-servers.net. 65838 IN A 192.42.93.30
m.gtld-servers.net. 66029 IN A 192.55.83.30
l.gtld-servers.net. 65234 IN A 192.41.162.30
e.gtld-servers.net. 65828 IN A 192.12.94.30
b.gtld-servers.net. 170528 IN A 192.33.14.30
a.gtld-servers.net. 17219 IN AAAA 2001:503:a83e::2:30
h.gtld-servers.net. 65786 IN A 192.54.112.30
d.gtld-servers.net. 66309 IN A 192.31.80.30
f.gtld-servers.net. 60520 IN A 192.35.51.30
j.gtld-servers.net. 65655 IN A 192.48.79.30
i.gtld-servers.net. 66218 IN A 192.43.172.30
k.gtld-servers.net. 65866 IN A 192.52.178.30
Received 483 bytes from address 204.60.0.2#53 in 11 ms
Received from the second DNS server
Request to the server "middlezonemusings.com"
You used the following DNS server:
DNS Name: ns2.snet.net
DNS Server Address: 204.60.0.3#53
DNS server aliases:
HEADER opcode: REQUEST, status: NOERROR, id: 38944
flag: qr rd REQUEST: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 13, ADDITIONAL: 14
REQUEST SECTION:
middlezonemusings.com. IN ANY
AUTHORITY SECTION:
com. 120366 IN NS m.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS f.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS k.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS a.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS j.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS g.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS b.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS e.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS h.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS i.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS d.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS l.gtld-servers.net.
com. 120366 IN NS c.gtld-servers.net.
SECTION NOTES:
m.gtld-servers.net. 104261 IN A 192.55.83.30
f.gtld-servers.net. 34569 IN A 192.35.51.30
k.gtld-servers.net. 115561 IN A 192.52.178.30
a.gtld-servers.net. 119683 IN A 192.5.6.30
a.gtld-servers.net. 119691 IN AAAA 2001:503:a83e::2:30
j.gtld-servers.net. 113507 IN A 192.48.79.30
g.gtld-servers.net. 104296 IN A 192.42.93.30
b.gtld-servers.net. 119690 IN A 192.33.14.30
b.gtld-servers.net. 120366 IN AAAA 2001:503:231d::2:30
e.gtld-servers.net. 113250 IN A 192.12.94.30
h.gtld-servers.net. 112177 IN A 192.54.112.30
i.gtld-servers.net. 103597 IN A 192.43.172.30
d.gtld-servers.net. 99851 IN A 192.31.80.30
l.gtld-servers.net. 113158 IN A 192.41.162.30
Received 511 bytes from address 204.60.0.3#53 in 9 ms
Subdomains (the first 50)
Typos (misspells)
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Location
IP: 199.204.137.97
continent: NA, country: United States (USA), city: Plano
Website value
rank in the traffic statistics:
There is not enough data to estimate website value.
Basic information
website build using CSS
code weight: 81.7 KB
text per all code ratio: 49 %
title: Middle Zone Musings
description: It's about lessons learned... from life!
keywords: opportunity, prosperity, road, south carolina, new year's day, christmas, elephant, flexibility, flexible, future, gravity, uncertain, 2010, faith, god, learn, love, travel, tree, 1000, blogging, gift, poetry, writing, betty skelton, amazing, astronaut, barrier, challenge, first, outstanding, speed
encoding: UTF-8
language: en-US
Website code analysis
one word phrases repeated minimum three times
Phrase | Quantity |
---|---|
the | 305 |
to | 189 |
of | 151 |
and | 95 |
for | 86 |
in | 74 |
that | 67 |
on | 62 |
we | 57 |
it | 53 |
was | 46 |
you | 45 |
this | 41 |
at | 41 |
our | 39 |
is | 36 |
my | 34 |
be | 32 |
what | 31 |
Christmas | 29 |
with | 27 |
up | 27 |
as | 27 |
have | 27 |
one | 25 |
The | 24 |
it’s | 24 |
out | 24 |
just | 23 |
had | 23 |
but | 22 |
about | 22 |
Texas | 21 |
all | 21 |
if | 20 |
back | 19 |
there | 18 |
or | 18 |
time | 17 |
from | 17 |
know | 17 |
us | 17 |
when | 16 |
only | 16 |
year | 16 |
like | 16 |
were | 16 |
tree | 16 |
so | 16 |
Houston, | 16 |
first | 15 |
some | 15 |
other | 15 |
few | 15 |
are | 15 |
me | 15 |
things | 15 |
We | 14 |
most | 14 |
little | 14 |
can | 14 |
job | 13 |
quite | 13 |
who | 13 |
do | 13 |
years | 13 |
always | 13 |
your | 13 |
Hruzek | 13 |
still | 12 |
get | 12 |
been | 12 |
that’s | 12 |
I’ve | 12 |
Mrs. | 12 |
never | 11 |
really | 11 |
no | 11 |
good | 11 |
I’m | 11 |
don’t | 11 |
tell | 11 |
over | 11 |
not | 11 |
something | 11 |
least | 11 |
now | 11 |
here | 11 |
well, | 11 |
actually | 10 |
But | 10 |
than | 10 |
didn’t | 10 |
then | 10 |
got | 10 |
an | 10 |
see | 10 |
think | 10 |
how | 10 |
make | 10 |
after | 9 |
new | 9 |
more | 9 |
again, | 9 |
life | 9 |
MZM | 9 |
work | 9 |
there’s | 9 |
I’ll | 9 |
And | 9 |
did | 9 |
home | 9 |
those | 9 |
would | 9 |
by | 9 |
another | 9 |
In | 9 |
Road | 8 |
place | 8 |
It | 8 |
once | 8 |
way | 8 |
It’s | 8 |
(and | 8 |
bit | 8 |
project | 8 |
they | 8 |
his | 8 |
right | 8 |
try | 8 |
folks | 8 |
Well, | 8 |
though, | 8 |
couldn’t | 8 |
even | 8 |
You | 8 |
she | 7 |
is, | 7 |
spent | 7 |
kept | 7 |
where | 7 |
used | 7 |
engineering | 7 |
all, | 7 |
So | 7 |
(sound | 7 |
many | 7 |
very | 7 |
barriers | 7 |
After | 7 |
This | 7 |
decided | 7 |
thing | 7 |
ol’ | 7 |
responses | 7 |
has | 7 |
happened | 7 |
last | 7 |
great | 7 |
which | 7 |
house | 7 |
into | 7 |
exactly | 7 |
before | 7 |
Tomball, | 6 |
come | 6 |
look | 6 |
moved | 6 |
yet | 6 |
came | 6 |
could | 6 |
these | 6 |
remember | 6 |
writing | 6 |
we’ve | 6 |
kind | 6 |
er, | 6 |
enough, | 6 |
two | 6 |
sorta | 6 |
we’re | 6 |
off | 6 |
farRobert | 6 |
too. | 6 |
much | 6 |
Just | 6 |
said | 6 |
let’s | 6 |
I’d | 6 |
comes | 6 |
fact, | 5 |
course | 5 |
future | 5 |
every | 5 |
keep | 5 |
Christmas, | 5 |
Not | 5 |
next | 5 |
time, | 5 |
any | 5 |
thought | 5 |
say | 5 |
entire | 5 |
mean, | 5 |
Hey, | 5 |
her | 5 |
along | 5 |
South | 5 |
made | 5 |
However, | 5 |
too | 5 |
perfect | 5 |
through | 5 |
previous | 5 |
Moon | 5 |
New | 5 |
Tags: | 5 |
across | 5 |
he | 5 |
take | 5 |
nice | 5 |
gave | 5 |
real | 5 |
put | 5 |
again. | 5 |
y’know, | 5 |
you’ve | 5 |
particular | 5 |
will | 4 |
ended | 4 |
picked | 4 |
turned | 4 |
Carolina | 4 |
photo | 4 |
What | 4 |
sure | 4 |
again | 4 |
anything | 4 |
Although | 4 |
On | 4 |
rather | 4 |
years, | 4 |
big | 4 |
months | 4 |
its | 4 |
may | 4 |
spot | 4 |
while | 4 |
ya; | 4 |
road | 4 |
right? | 4 |
own | 4 |
Yep, | 4 |
finally | 4 |
nothing | 4 |
2011 | 4 |
went | 4 |
chance | 4 |
me, | 4 |
apartment | 4 |
He | 4 |
poetry | 4 |
took | 4 |
ever | 4 |
simply | 4 |
part | 4 |
say, | 4 |
Middle | 4 |
opportunity | 4 |
same | 4 |
hand, | 4 |
That | 4 |
Richmond | 4 |
business | 4 |
future, | 4 |
outside | 4 |
times | 4 |
since | 4 |
For | 4 |
soon | 4 |
during | 4 |
instead | 4 |
each | 4 |
home. | 4 |
brand | 4 |
ain’t | 4 |
pretty | 4 |
believe | 4 |
women | 4 |
moving | 4 |
time. | 4 |
truly | 4 |
problem | 4 |
fact | 4 |
tree. | 4 |
both | 3 |
bought | 3 |
market | 3 |
condo | 3 |
reason | 3 |
don’cha | 3 |
love | 3 |
towards | 3 |
together | 3 |
it’s | 3 |
celebrated | 3 |
sayin’.) | 3 |
better | 3 |
blogging | 3 |
celebrate | 3 |
photos | 3 |
living | 3 |
room | 3 |
seemed | 3 |
At | 3 |
o’ | 3 |
(I | 3 |
world | 3 |
post | 3 |
why | 3 |
statement | 3 |
front | 3 |
Year | 3 |
2010 | 3 |
use | 3 |
marks | 3 |
day | 3 |
season | 3 |
large | 3 |
such | 3 |
year! | 3 |
“the | 3 |
mind | 3 |
odd | 3 |
lot | 3 |
help | 3 |
they’d | 3 |
hotel | 3 |
it, | 3 |
being | 3 |
learned | 3 |
that, | 3 |
read | 3 |
someone | 3 |
live | 3 |
Since | 3 |
Hotel | 3 |
you’d | 3 |
elephant | 3 |
Gift | 3 |
long-term | 3 |
likely | 3 |
that. | 3 |
hey, | 3 |
missed | 3 |
doing | 3 |
long | 3 |
turn | 3 |
getting | 3 |
Change | 3 |
Zone | 3 |
Musings | 3 |
cue | 3 |
Still, | 3 |
article | 3 |
you’re | 3 |
to, | 3 |
under | 3 |
working | 3 |
worked | 3 |
God | 3 |
First | 3 |
far | 3 |
audience | 3 |
trunk | 3 |
entry | 3 |
bet | 3 |
ya! | 3 |
record | 3 |
given | 3 |
helped | 3 |
assignment | 3 |
was, | 3 |
times. | 3 |
started | 3 |
hand | 3 |
bring | 3 |
began | 3 |
confidence | 3 |
Be | 3 |
thoughts | 3 |
set | 3 |
face | 3 |
near | 3 |
does | 3 |
experience | 3 |
Unfortunately, | 3 |
number | 3 |
different | 3 |
barrier | 3 |
found | 3 |
move | 3 |
can’t | 3 |
absolutely | 3 |
want | 3 |
two word phrases repeated minimum three times
Phrase | Quantity |
---|---|
of the | 29 |
for the | 18 |
in the | 18 |
Houston, Texas | 15 |
to be | 15 |
if you | 13 |
at the | 13 |
Hruzek on | 12 |
to the | 12 |
on the | 10 |
Mrs. MZM | 9 |
Road to | 8 |
I’ll tell | 8 |
had to | 8 |
at least | 7 |
our first | 7 |
(sound of | 7 |
know what | 7 |
responses so | 7 |
the engineering | 7 |
on The | 6 |
The Road | 6 |
decided to | 6 |
over the | 6 |
so farRobert | 6 |
most of | 6 |
farRobert Hruzek | 6 |
when it | 6 |
used to | 6 |
it was | 6 |
one of | 6 |
After all, | 5 |
It was | 5 |
MZM and | 5 |
with the | 5 |
this one | 5 |
by the | 5 |
Tomball, Texas | 5 |
to have | 5 |
of those | 5 |
from the | 5 |
this year | 5 |
and the | 5 |
Christmas tree | 5 |
the time | 5 |
the entire | 5 |
the future | 5 |
of my | 5 |
the other | 4 |
the year | 4 |
the Christmas | 4 |
thing that | 4 |
like to | 4 |
pretty much | 4 |
picked up | 4 |
the most | 4 |
engineering business | 4 |
the way | 4 |
to get | 4 |
kind of | 4 |
but the | 4 |
for our | 4 |
the ol’ | 4 |
of our | 4 |
time to | 4 |
ended up | 4 |
what the | 4 |
me to | 4 |
happened to | 4 |
spent most | 4 |
up in | 4 |
yet another | 4 |
of course | 4 |
opportunity to | 4 |
here at | 4 |
we moved | 4 |
to work | 4 |
the last | 4 |
would be | 4 |
brand new | 4 |
we’re still | 4 |
the road | 4 |
and then | 4 |
back in | 4 |
out to | 4 |
On the | 4 |
you can | 4 |
we decided | 3 |
can see | 3 |
writing project | 3 |
job market | 3 |
across the | 3 |
Change the | 3 |
the job | 3 |
the same | 3 |
make it | 3 |
about the | 3 |
all the | 3 |
turned out | 3 |
lot of | 3 |
here in | 3 |
Just sayin’.) | 3 |
seemed to | 3 |
is what | 3 |
the only | 3 |
our Christmas | 3 |
where we | 3 |
like that | 3 |
always made | 3 |
New Year | 3 |
that really | 3 |
just for | 3 |
towards the | 3 |
year on | 3 |
little place | 3 |
or two | 3 |
and were | 3 |
work out | 3 |
of us | 3 |
road to | 3 |
want to | 3 |
there were | 3 |
out of | 3 |
try something | 3 |
to make | 3 |
to think | 3 |
Zone Musings | 3 |
to see | 3 |
to yet | 3 |
this time | 3 |
it’s the | 3 |
you get | 3 |
moved back | 3 |
we bought | 3 |
the chance | 3 |
up there | 3 |
that’s not | 3 |
get my | 3 |
have to | 3 |
as we | 3 |
We had | 3 |
to do | 3 |
previous job | 3 |
you know | 3 |
some of | 3 |
the years | 3 |
other hand, | 3 |
In fact, | 3 |
South Carolina | 3 |
comes to | 3 |
the Middle | 3 |
was the | 3 |
kept us | 3 |
back home | 3 |
it comes | 3 |
three word phrases repeated minimum three times
Phrase | Quantity |
---|---|
so farRobert Hruzek | 6 |
on The Road | 6 |
farRobert Hruzek on | 6 |
The Road to | 6 |
responses so farRobert | 6 |
Mrs. MZM and | 5 |
here at the | 4 |
spent most of | 4 |
the engineering business | 4 |
the other hand, | 3 |
happened to be | 3 |
you get my | 3 |
if you get | 3 |
the road to | 3 |
one of those | 3 |
turned out to | 3 |
to yet another | 3 |
it comes to | 3 |
most of the | 3 |
out to be | 3 |
of the year | 3 |
we moved back | 3 |
Hruzek on The | 3 |
you know what | 3 |
when it comes | 3 |
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HomeAbout the ZoneAbout MeArchivesWILFMZM BooksContact MeRobert Hruzek on Oct 13th 2011 Change the World,inspiration,motivation,travel,true storiesThe Road to ProsperityEver feel like you’ve missed the road to prosperity? Yeah, sometimes it feels that way to me, too. In fact, once I had the chance to make the turn – but passed it by. (Cue rimshot: ba-da-bing!(In case you’re wondering, the road to Prosperity is in South Carolina, off Interstate 26, not too far from Columbia. Just sayin’.)Yeah, I know. Sadly, these days quite a few folks are lookin’ for that opportunity to come knocking on our doors. And I’m not talking about having the next winning lottery ticket come floating in the window, either – although it makes for a nice daydream… No, they’re actually looking for the chance to, y’know do something.See, I know what it’s like to have things swept out from under you; things like a job, a bank account, and perhaps even a direction in life. More times than I’d like to admit. But hey, who ever said life is supposed to be fair? It happens. The most important thing, though, is what happens after that. You know what I mean, right? It’s what comes next that really defines who you are.So, just for the fun of it, let’s take a quickie test. Let’s say that life has suddenly taken a turn for the worse and the giant bluebird of happiness has just, ahem, pooped on your parade, if you know what I mean.Would you:a) throw a tantrum b) blame “the system” c) demand somebody, y’know, do something d) try again, or try something else.Now, chances are, if you are taking the time to read this, I would be willing to bet your answer is very likely d) try again, or try something else. Well… I’m afraid you’d only be part right. The real answer is e) all of the above. (Yes, it was a trick question. Please don’t sue me. I have nothing.)In fact, every time I’ve experienced a sudden change in fortunes (meanin’ a downward change, of course – it’s not likely many folks would be too upset about an upward change in fortune), I’ve had to work my way through pretty much all of those reactions. (Surely you remember the stages of grief?) Hey, it’s the way we’re made, after all.But the problem isn’t the struggle we experience while shuffling through those times. Nope, that’s not the point at all. After all, if you’re, y’know, alive, then it’s pretty much a given that life will occasionally hand you lemons. No, the thing that separates us from the herd is what we do choose to do with those lemons. And if you don’t make it all the way from a) through d) and on to e) – well, you missed it.I gotta admit; it’s very, very tempting to sorta “hole up” at any one of those early stages. After all, wallowing in self-pity does bring its own strange kind of satisfaction. The only problem is, it gets you absolutely nowhere. You can’t actually solve anything while you’re there. I know; I’ve tried.Nope, the only thing that really works is to get out there and try again. Or, if you’ve tried whatever it is you’ve been trying enough, then go for something different. (You remember the definition of insanity, don’t you?) Trust me; it’s the only thing that really works.So, will you finally make it to Prosperity – or at least, on the road to Prosperity? Alas, that’s not for me to say. But I will say this: you’ll never make it if you don’t try for it.I’m just sayin’._____________________________ Tags: opportunity, prosperity, road, South Carolina14 responses so farRobert Hruzek on Mar 20th 2011 UncategorizedFull Moon 3-19-11Full Moon 3-19-11 a photo by Robert Hruzek on Flickr.Saturday Night’s Supermoon!Yep, it’s supposed to be the closest to Earth in quite some time. So how could I resist taking it’s portrait?Bonus: how many faces can you see in the moon? I can see quite a few, including a smiling monkey wearing sunglasses…63 responses so farRobert Hruzek on Feb 18th 2011 UncategorizedPincushion Cactus Pincushion Cactus Originally uploaded by Robert Hruzek When you look at this thing up close, it’s incredible the amount of detail there is. Such a fine example of randomness and symmetry! 21 responses so farRobert Hruzek on Jan 1st 2011 Change the World,inspiration,learning,special days,true storiesHappy New Year 2011Since this is the first post of a brand new year, it’s only fitting to first reflect a bit on things just passed before we take a look towards the future, don’cha think? Tradition, you know.So let’s start with a little, um, thing that happened just last week.Lights! Action!If you’re like many of us, you’ve recently celebrated the birth of Christ on December 25th. (I know it may come as a shocker to some, but He really IS the reason for the season, y’know. Just sayin’.) AND, at least here in the “Western” world, today marks the first day of a brand new year. (Yeah, I know the Asian world won’t celebrate New Year’s for a few more weeks. “Close enough”, I say.)Anyhoo, I don’t know about you, but during the Christmas season some of the things Mrs. MZM and I look forward to the most are the Christmas music, the special Christmas events, and especially the Christmas Pageants, particularly at our local churches, large and small. I’m tellin’ ya; we’ve seen (and been a part of) some that are as good as or better than anything you’d find on Broadway. (Well, at least off-Broadway quality, anyway.)In fact, we went to one of those “big production” pageants just before Christmas at a large church near us. It was quite a show, I’ll tell ya! The highlight was, during one musical number commemorating the arrival of the Wise Men (or, as I prefer to call ‘em, the “Wise Guys”), the three of them rode in on genuine, real live camels and an elephant! Yup – an elephant strolled right across the stage. Wow. (The engineer in me couldn’t help but wonder if they’d performed a weight distribution calculation on that wooden floor. No worries, though; nothing collapsed. But I digress.)The elephant, of course, was the most impressive part of the entire pageant. He strolled majestically to the center of the stage like the king of all land creatures that he was, and then paused for his rider to disembark. As soon as that was accomplished, he performed for us a little, raising his trunk and one leg towards the audience as if to say, “hey lookit me!” I suppose it’s the elephant equivalent of a curtsey. The audience was very appreciative; it earned him a round of applause for a great job. Way to go, Bubba!Gravity – “It’s the Law!”Well, that’s when it happened.After our friend the elephant little gave his little performance, his handler gave him his cue and he headed off towards the exit at stage right. Unfortunately, as he turned around it became obvious for all to see that his leg and trunk weren’t the, er, only things he’d raised, if you get my meanin’. Yep, that’s right – he had his tail raised too. And if you’ve ever been around animals of any kind, you know what that means, right? Yessir – when that tail goes up – something, er, else generally comes down. It’s like, gravity. And yep, that’s exactly what happened!There came a collective “uh-oh” from the audience as, at right about the same moment we all realized just exactly what was about to happen. That poor elephant! Instead of applause for a job well done, this particular job instead earned a clearly audible gasp (and more than a few horrified screams) and a resounding “eww-yuk!” from everyone. I’m tellin’ ya; for once Mrs. MZM and I were thrilled – absolutely thrilled – to be at the back of the auditorium!Y’know, it’s a cryin’ shame, too. All the work and time those folks put into that production – the writing, the music, the rehearsals, the costumes – it was a gargantuan effort, to be sure. But the sad fact is (at least for those of us who attended this one particular performance), ten years from now when we recall this pageant, this is what we’ll remember!Probably Not What You ExpectedSo along about now you may be asking, “Uh, what the heck has that previous – and somewhat disgusting – story have to do with the New Year?” Well, that’s a doggone good question!Here’s the thing.Over the years I’ve jokingly said many times the phrase I plan to have emblazoned on my tombstone when I kick the ol’ bucket is, “Y’know, things didn’t quite work out like I’d planned!” (Actually, I’m only half-joking.)Still, it never ceases to amaze me how differently things always seem to work out from what I, in my mind at least, think should be the “ideal”. You know what I mean, right? It’s been my experience that, no matter how well I’ve mapped out my future, there’s always something – or someone – that comes along and throws a monkey wrench in the works; stuff I simply can’t plan for.Let’s see… I know there’s a technical term for it… wait, wait… it’s coming clearer… Ah yes! I think it’s called, uh, life.Plan AccordinglyAll I’m sayin’ is, hey, it’s a brand new year! It’s really all right to make your plans. After all, plans are good. Plans are necessary. Plans help keep things on track. In fact, it’s sorta like that image up there at the top of this post I titled “The Uncertain Future”. It’s a somewhat blurry photo of a corridor stretching out ahead. You can make out the walls, the floor, the line of light fixtures above, leading off into a possibly bright future. But at the same time – it ain’t all that clear, either.Yeah, it’s sorta like that.Hey, just remember this one thing: if you really want to be able to face the future in style, then Bubba, in all your planning, don’t forget to make allowances for life.Yep; that’s the way to face the future, my friends. Be flexible when it comes to the unexpected. It’s the only way you’ll be able to roll with it and keep on keepin’ on, y’know? Just like that pageant. Did the unfortunate “elephant incident” stop the show? Not on your life! Folks just kept a careful eye on where they were steppin’ – and then kept right on walkin’.Hey, I’ve known folks who seemed to know (or at least claimed to know) exactly where they were goin’ and what they’d be doin’ in the years ahead… and I gotta tell ya; folks like that irritate me to no end. Oh, it’s nothing personal, mind you. It’s just that after fifty-mumblemumble years, I’ve come to the sobering conclusion that there is absolutely nothing carved in stone about the future.And there’s the lesson for the day year.Happy New Year and a tip o’ the hat to ya!____________________ Tags: "New Year's Day", Christmas, elephant, flexibility, flexible, future, gravity, uncertain18 responses so farRobert Hruzek on Dec 21st 2010 inspiration,learning,musings,special days,true storiesChristmas, 2010I’ve mentioned a few times the fact that Mrs. MZM and I have moved quite a few times since our marriage back in 1982. (Yep; we’re zeroing in on 29 years real soon now.) Yessir, for some of us in the engineering business, sometimes that’s just the way the ball bounces.Admittedly, there’s definitely a few pros and cons to that kind of life, I’ll tell ya. On the one hand, we’ve both had an opportunity to see various and sundry parts of the world – on someone else’s dime. (It’s always nicer when other folks pay for our adventures. Just sayin’.) On the other hand, such a life presents a bucketful or two of challenges, many examples of which I’ve shared with you right here at the Zone.However, since celebrating Christmas is a big tradition for both of us, we’ve always been diligent that, no matter where we were, or what the circumstances, we always made sure there was a Christmas tree. Admittedly, some years we had to get a little creative (you’ll see what I mean).So just for fun, this year I’ll share with you our progression of Christmas Trees, along with where we happened to be at the time. (Click on the photos for a bigger view of each one.)29 Years of Christmas Trees1981, Houston, Texas – The soon-to-be Mrs. MZM and I celebrated our first Christmas together at her house near Hobby Airport. She used to live in a cute little place located directly underneath the runway approach path to Hobby Airport – landing aircraft were so low you could actually see folks’ faces in the windows! We still remember this tree as the one we bought and never had to pay for. Don’t know why, but the charge never showed up on the ol’ credit card bill.1982, Houston, Texas – Being newlyweds, naturally the future looked rosy and bright! (Silly us – who knew the future actually held quite a bit of challenge and adventure. But that’s, as they say, yet another harmonica tune.) So of course we bought our first home, fully expecting to be there awhile. The house had a big picture window in the front which was perfect for displaying a Christmas tree that year.1983, Houston, Texas – To our surprise, things didn’t quite work out like we expected (a statement which is currently the front runner for my tombstone’s epitaph.) Earlier in the year we sold our previous house in anticipation of the purchase of our first new home. So let’s see; what happened? Well, first the builder ran off with our down payment. Then Mrs. MZM took early retirement – and then surprise! the bottom dropped out of the job market and my job went bye-bye. Oh, and we also lost Mrs. MZM’s father on our first Anniversary. Finally, after a quick scramble we ended up in a tiny little rented house instead of our dream home. At least the living room had space for a tree. Wow, talk about a banner year! Yeesh!1984, Houston, Texas – Sadly, the job hunt went on a bit longer than anticipated and money got a mite short. Fortunately a kind friend offered us the use of their unoccupied condo for essentially free, so we moved yet again. Don’t be fooled by the number of packages – most of ‘em are empty boxes, wrapped for fun. It was a wonderful Christmas just the same; there is no substitute for the love of a wonderful spouse, I’ll tell ya!1985, Greenville, South Carolina – The job market finally picked up again – everywhere, it seemed, but Houston! So we packed our things for our first interstate move. That first Christmas in South Carolina was spent in this apartment as we searched for a better, long-term place. (Why temporary? Well, the floor seemed to be, er, dissolving under us. Yep, dissolving. We had to move to yet another temporary place before we finally found our “permanent” spot.) Temporary though it was, a tree we cut ourselves at a local tree farm, along with the cheery fireplace (not to mention a nicely-lighted model sailboat) helped set the tone for a very nice first experience away from the ol’ homestead.1986, Atlanta, Georgia – You’d think one interstate move would be enough, but noooo! Within a few months, I was sent on a long-term field assignment to yet another state. On the plus side, though, the apartment we found had a perfect spot for a Christmas tree: a glassed-in sunroom. It was even more spectacular when it began to snow, giving us our first White Christmas! (By the way, if you look closely, you can see our cat, Cookie, lurking beneath the center of the tree.)1987, Greenville, South Carolina – After that previous job assignment, we moved back in Greenville again. This time we decided to buy a house and ended up in a cute little place in the NE quadrant of town. Once again, we had a beautiful room just begging for a Christmas tree to give it life! Winter turned out to be unexpectedly heavy that year (we once woke up to a record 14” overnight snowfall!) that kept us stuck inside for over a week.1988, Houston, Texas – Things started looking up in Houston’s job market again, and we sorta missed bein’ back home again, so we moved back as soon as we could, this time to a condominium near the Galleria area. Over the following years we actually lived in this complex several different times. However, this was the first, a nice little place that turned out to be home for only a short time.1989, Austin, Texas – I changed employers again, moving to Austin, Texas, for a new assignment. We initially lived in a “corporate” apartment on the north side of town. A few weeks before Christmas, though, it got so cold the water pipes burst, ruining the entire building! We moved to an Embassy Suites Hotel for about four months. Not too shabby, I’ll tell ya! Since we really didn’t have room for a tree of our own, we adopted this one in the lobby of the hotel.1990, Richmond, Virginia – After the last project ended, we got transferred to Richmond for about a year on another project. This apartment was a bit bare, since we tended to travel “light”, but the place still had a comfortable spot for our Christmas tree. Of all the places we’ve lived, Richmond is the richest in history. We had a great time checking out all the historical sites nearby.1991, Robinson, Illinois – Moving to Robinson was quite an adjustment. After all, it’s little more than a wide spot in the road in the middle of eastern Illinois’ corn fields (at least it was back then). We rented this house, which was nice enough, but it sure did make a lot of odd noises at night! When the stairs started creakin’ and crackin’, we could almost see the ghost of the lady who used to live there, checkin’ us out. Talk about spooky! Where’s the Ghostbusters when you need ‘em?1992, Houston, Texas – Back home once again, we bought a condo at the complex we were at in 1988 (see above). Turned out this place became our “home base” for the next 15 years as we continued to travel all over creation in the following years. It was nice to have a place to “come home to”, though. One of my favorite features: the glassed-in sunroom always made a perfect setting for the Christmas tree.1993, Houston, Texas – This particular year I happened to be on assignment in Charlotte, North Carolina at Christmas. Unfortunately, Mrs. MZM got the flu really bad so she had to come home. Needless to say, she didn’t feel like putting up a tree! However, just before Christmas her sister and nephew came over and surprised her with a tree anyway! It was a remarkably kind gesture that helped just a tiny bit to overcome the loneliness we both felt from being so far away from each other.1994, Richmond, Virginia – I took a position in Richmond and, while we waited for our house to be built, ended up staying in a Days Inn Hotel for several months – hence another hotel tree this year. I’ll tell ya, hotel living ain’t for the faint of heart! There was that time the entire hotel was filled with adolescent teenage girls – and us – during a state softball championship. The fire alarm must have “accidentally” gone off at least a dozen times. At midnight. Every night. Argh!1995, Houston, Texas – Unfortunately, the previous job didn’t pan out as, er, long-lasting as I’d hoped. (Sheesh; industry downturns sure do put a kink in our well-laid plans, don’t they?) So instead of living in Richmond we moved back to our condo in Houston. For a part of the year I worked in Venezuela, but I managed to get back home by the time Christmas rolled around. Instead of presents under the tree this year, we put some of our collection of nativity scenes we’d picked up in our travels.1996, Houston, Texas – We spent most of this year moving back and forth across the country due to my job. My project had us first working in Sherman, Texas, then clean across the country to Salem, Oregon, and then back to Sherman again. Upon the return to Sherman, I stayed there working while Mrs. MZM came home. However, we celebrated Christmas at home together.1997, Perrysburg, Ohio – Moved to Ohio to work on a project in a small town just outside of Toledo (home of the world-famous baseball team, the Mud Hens!) Those of you who are my age or older may remember these old aluminum trees. We found this one at a garage sale, complete with the original box and motorized spinning color-gel wheel, and just had to have it.1998, Houston, Texas – For about a year I took a break from the engineering business and worked as a consultant. This meant I essentially worked from home most of the time, only traveling on occasion – and that only for a week or two at a time. However, on one of my field trips to Florida during the hurricane season I got to play chicken with Hurricane Fred, or Bill, or something when it took a bead on Panama City where I happened to be staying. Ah well, at least we got to enjoy a relaxing Christmas together at home again.1999, Taipei, Taiwan – Well, this still holds the record for the “most distant from home” Christmas I’ve ever spent – 14 hours time difference! Now, even though they don’t exactly celebrate Christmas in China, they still recognize the season for the tourists (not to mention the shopping!) The tree pictured here is from the lobby of the Grand Hotel in Taipei. And believe me, they don’t call it Grand for nothin’ – it’s quite a place!2000, Portland, Oregon – Anticipating a permanent move to the Left Coast, we started with another one of those temporary apartments. Since it was only temporary, we decided to cut costs and were quite successful furnishing the entire with garage sale items (except the bed and the couch). I’ll tell ya, if you just take the time to look, you can find some incredible stuff this way! Although our Christmas tree was a bit smaller than we were used to, overall it made for a fine homey place. Ironically, Portland is where we experienced our first earthquake! Yep, I can still hear Mrs. MZM’s loving words to me immediately afterwards. I believe here exact words were: “GET ME OUTTA HERE!”2001, Houston, Texas – Can’t believe it happened again! We expected the job in Portland to last a long time, but due to a yet another severe industry slowdown I ended up getting laid off 6 months later. Sigh. This was the beginning of a long stretch of odd jobs until the engineering business picked up again. Still, being back in Houston meant we could get together with friends and family.2002, Houston, Texas – Still out of work, things were getting a little glum, and unfortunately, our Christmas tree sorta reflected that. Mrs. MZM didn’t even want to put up a tree, but I insisted on at least some lights on the ficus tree in the corner. It wasn’t exactly our dream Christmas, but we did spend some quality time counting our blessings rather than moping about what might have been.2003, Houston, Texas – Although the engineering business was still out for the count, I spent most of these years (yes, I said years) doing assorted odd jobs that came along. At least it kept me outta trouble! (Er, more or less.) This year we decided not to put up the “whole” tree, but instead mounted the top two-thirds on a large trunk for a different look.2004, Houston, Texas – Yet another Christmas outside of the engineering business, and things were beginning to look a little sparse. I didn’t know it at the time, of course, but a great job was only a few months away. We never gave up hope, though, and kept our eyes on God, who graciously supplied all our needs. Celebrating His birth every year gave us the chance to thank Him personally.2005, Houston, Texas – Although we spent this year’s Christmas back home in Houston, we spent most of the year on the Caribbean island of Aruba. Talk about a great work assignment; this one ranks up there with the best of ‘em! We had looked forward to spending Christmas on the island, but the assignment finished up too soon for that. Too bad. We decided to use the antique metal tree again, just for fun.2006, Tomball, Texas – We decided to buy a house again after returning from Aruba, moving this time to a smaller town just north of Houston. Here you can see the expanse of arched windows that made what we thought was a perfect setting for the tree. This was also the last year for this particular tree; all that moving and storage pretty much destroyed it.2007, Tomball, Texas – Behold our brand new Christmas tree – er, in it’s new, improved location. (Turns out, in front of the window wasn’t the most optimum spot after all.) The good news this year was that work was steady and the engineering business’ prospects were amazingly rosy. That’s always good for some level of comfort; especially with my history.2008, Tomball, Texas – Er, did I say “rosy” outlook? Sheesh, in an amazingly dramatic turn of events, the entire economy seemed to tank this year! Luckily, I spent most of the year on a project that kept us going, but the future was yet again getting a mite uncertain. Still, God blessed us again this year with good health, steady employment, and gracious love. What more can one ask for? (Besides pie, of course. One can always use more pie.)2009, Tomball, Texas – Alas, earlier this year my previous job folded. Luckily, I fell into a new one almost immediately, so that was a real blessing indeed! Sadly though, it only lasted about six months or so before the engineering business (and pretty much every other business) dried up and flew south for the Winter. Still, God kept us warm and dry and basking in His love this Christmas.2010, Tomball, Texas – Halleluiah, a new job came along and this time it truly looks like a long-term project. ‘Course, it has to actually last that long, but prospects look good for the time being. Assuming it continues to its conclusion, eventually we’ll be leaving the Houston area and traveling the world as the project further develops into its Engineering and Construction phases. Nevertheless, for the time being we’re still snug as a bug in a rug right here in Tomball, Texas!2011, and BeyondLots of folks, when they hear about the crazy, whacked-out kind of life Mrs. MZM and I have, er, enjoyed over the years, tell us they’d never have survived such insane turns of events. Well, I can understand the sentiment, for sure. The fact is, most folks like to think they’ve got things figured out, don’t they? What’s more; they’ve even got the plans to prove it, too. Um, yeah.It sorta reminds me of a rather profound statement a fellah named George Campbell said once: “We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”I’ll tell ya folks; if there’s any one lesson we’ve learned (and keep on learnin’) over the years, it’s that only God knows what the future will actually bring. In truth, the best we can do is keep our eyes on Him, and follow where He leads.Now, life ain’t always been a bed o’ roses, and that’s a fact. Some years have truly been ‘way harder to cope with than others. But after everything is said and done (and as you know, more is usually said than done), hey, we’re still kickin’, we’re still together, we still love each other with all our hearts – and of course we’re still mightily blessed by the Creator of the Universe.Hey, that’s good enough for me!Merry Christmas, y’all, and a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!_______________________ Tags: 2010, Christmas, faith, God, learn, love, travel, tree35 responses so farRobert Hruzek on Nov 29th 2010 Communication,learning,special days,writing1,000 And Counting: A Gift From Blogging[(sound of radio hum and persistent static) We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this Special Announcement. Please do not attempt to adjust your screens. The problem is not with your monitor.]_________________A Big AnnouncementFirst – the BIG Announcement: Today’s entry marks post number – wait for it – 1,000 here at the Middle Zone! (sound of vast crowd cheering enthusiastically; roll out the proverbial red carpet; cue the band; cue the fireworks)I mean, who woulda thunk it? Not me, that’s for sure!To be honest (something we always strive for here at the Zone), I really had no lifelong aspirations to become a world-famous millionaire blogger/writer, I’ll tell ya. That’s right: zip, zero, nada. In fact, ‘way back in June of ’06 (practically pre-historic days in Internet time) when I posted my first profound thoughts measly chicken-scratchings, the ONLY reason I did it at all was simply to “try this weird, crazy bloggin’ thang out”, if you get my meanin’.(Er, as to that “world-famous millionaire blogger/writer” bit… I think I can say with confidence that over the last 4.5193 years of blood, sweat and tears, working my fingers to the bone and the little ol’ gray cells into exhaustion, I’ve managed to achieve at least two out of those three descriptives. It should be obvious to all exactly which two have been accomplished.)So how does one celebrate 1,000 posts, anyway? Why, by doing something special of course!Now for me, “something special” usually involves, well, pie – preferably with a big ol’ scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream right up there on top. However, today I decided to do something completely different (miraculously involving no calories whatsoever) and submit an entry for Joanna Patterson’s group writing project instead. All month she’s been running her “The Gift of Blogging Confidence” group writing project over at Confident Writing. Since I haven’t participated in a GWP in quite some time, I thought this would be a great opportunity to jump back into the fray.[We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming. (sound of static fades away) And what the hey; why don’cha go have yourself a Slurpee?]_________________Look, Ma; I’m A Writer!Well, I’ll tell ya; blogging over the years has certainly been the source of some surprising turns of events. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some really fantastic folks, read great thoughts on practically anything you care to name (and let’s face it; “one or two” not-so-great thoughts, too), and gained exposure to some truly amazing, well, stuff. I mean, there’s practically no end to the things there are to learn “out there” these days, is there? You know.As for yours truly, well, blogging has given me a remarkable measure of confidence I never knew I had. After all, when it comes to recording your own thoughts and sending them out to the world… well, it takes a certain level of chutzpah, don’cha think? Why, the very idea that someone else out there would conceivably care what I think – about anything – I mean, sheesh, who knew?The thing is, writing is something I always thought I’d be good at, even back when I was a kid. It’s just that, up until a few years ago, I simply didn’t actually, y’know, do it on a regular basis. Howsomever, once I began writing more-or-less regular-like here at the Zone, well, the rest is, as they say, history.But if there’s one gift blogging has given me – and believe me when I say it’s one I never saw comin’ – well, that would have to be (sound of drumroll and rimshot) poetry.Look Ma; Now I’m a Poet, Too!Yep, now I’m not only a writer – I’m a poet, too; a statement to which my mind can’t help but respond: Uh, now how heck did that happen? Truth be told, I can barely even relate to most poetry out there. So why on earth would I start writing any of my own, much less publishing it “out there” for anyone to see and (sound of terrified scream) critique?Not to mention, as this photo illustrates, the sheer, unmitigated agony of the bane of existence of poets everywhere: “the search for the perfect word”. (With apologies to Joyce Kilmer. – Ed.)So how did it happen, you ask? Well, in a word – confidence! Yep, it’s that confidence I picked up from practicing what I normally do. And after doing it long enough, I finally began to think outside the box and try something different.Oh, don’t get me wrong – I very carefully make no claims to bein’ a good poet. But I honestly think I’m learnin’ a thing or two every time one falls out onto the screen. Hey, who knows; maybe my feet really do show it? *Poetic Moments at the Middle ZoneSo for your reading pleasure torture edification whatever, here are the links to all my (insert appropriate descriptive here) poetry posts that appear here in the Middle Zone. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you liked them. I’d truly like to know!First of all, here are five very short poems (written in *ahem* free verse – which, let’s be honest, is just a fancified way of sayin’ “Hey, there ain’t no rhyme or reason to this stuff!”) for a writing project sponsored by the inimitable Liz Strauss wherin each entry is limited to exactly 25 words:WatchedThey Were Wrong!HorizonsSomersaultCluelessThen, since it’s poetry after all, I decided to try my hand at, y’know, actually rhyming something. (Yes, I know all poetry doesn’t have to rhyme. Still have trouble thinking that way. Just sayin’.) Interestingly enough, it seems my own photos turned out to be my greatest resource when it comes to the ol’ Muse’s poetic ramblings. Thus, my photo of a pair of spiky sycamore tree seed pods inspired this poem about my childhood days:Spiky BallsOddly enough, my two latest poems were inspired by photos of the same subject: the morning dew:Morning DewFallen StarlightSo what’s next, you ask? The Great American Novel? A Nobel-Prize-worthy essay? The next volume of The Toilet Time Reader? Heck, who knows? My advice is (for you and for me), let’s make sure to remain open to the possibilities. Hey, you never know what surprising little gift might next come down the pike!_________________[* By the way, on the remote chance you have no idea what that sentence refers to, it’s a little rhyme I learned years ago (and therefore assume most folks have heard in one form or another), to wit: “Hey, he’s a poet! He didn’t know it; but his feet show it – they’re Longfellows!” (sound of rimshot)]_________________ Tags: 1000, blogging, gift, poetry, writing25 responses so farRobert Hruzek on Nov 22nd 2010 Change the World,commitment,goals,inspiration,leadership,motivationShould A Girl Be First In Space?Wow, I bet that got your attention, didn’t it?The Mrs. and I were checkin’ out a junk store antique shop a few weeks ago, and I happened to run across a pile of old magazines. Idly flipping through them, I was rather taken aback by the title of the main article on this cover of Look Magazine, dated February 2, 1960:“SHOULD A GIRL BE FIRST IN SPACE?”Well, I guess back then you could never accuse magazine editors of bein’, y’know, subtle. Surely, I thought to myself, these guys have learned something over the years.Don’t Call Me Shirley!A quick Wikipedia search (altogether now: what did we ever do before the internet came along?) revealed that lady on the cover is none other than Betty Skelton, one of the most amazing women of the day ever.I had to chuckle a bit at that word, ‘girl’, though. I rather imagine if you called her that today, you’d better keep an eye over your shoulder because she’d likely climb into one of the 10 corvettes she used to set speed records with and lay a few track marks across your face. Just sayin’.Although the whole article is definitely worth a read (it won’t take long, I promise), the opening summary quite succinctly says a lot: “Betty Skelton Frankman Erde (Note: link to Wikipedia article) (born June 28, 1926) is a retired land speed record car driver and acrobatic airplane pilot who set 17 aviation and automobile records, was known as “the First Lady of Firsts”, and helped create opportunities for women in aviation, auto racing, astronautics and advertising.”Now there’s a summary for ya! In other words, she gave new meaning to the term “Fast Lady”! And, although she underwent the exact same training the Mercury astronauts went through (it was done at the request of Look Magazine specifically for this issue), she was never actually an astronaut. Which, if you think about it, is a sad commentary on the Way Things Were at the time.On the other hand, it does bring up the subject of… barriers.Barriers: Some Real and Some… Not So MuchUnfortunately, there were barriers to women back then that even one as talented and accomplished as Betty couldn’t break down. On the other hand (where did I get all these hands?), were I a bettin’ man, I’d bet you, oh, about a bazillion donuts she was a factor in the eventual acceptance of women in the Astronaut Corps (and a lot of other places, too).Nevertheless, the wiki article did get me to thinkin’ (sound of grinding gears)…When I was a kid, there were a lot of things I couldn’t do. You remember what it was like, don’cha? For instance (just to name three) I couldn’t drive a car (I was too young), I couldn’t understand physics (I hadn’t accumulated enough scientific knowledgeable) and, once I got a car, I couldn’t get a date (sadly, I had little or no social skills luck whatever with the fairer half of the population *sigh*).See, some barriers are truly, well, for lack of a better term, real. Age, for example. In that case, there’s nothing you can do about that kind of barrier except wait for it to fall in its own good time. Hey, I had to grow up eventually, right? (Well, there were a few major boners I pulled when I was young that probably had my parents wonderin’ about that one. But I digress.)On the other hand, many other kinds of barriers (such as that lack of knowledge I mentioned above) are more a product of how I thought of myself. Once again, though, how to overcome such a barrier was obvious: I needed to work harder and learn more! In other words, it was up to me.Where’s That Barrier Now?Over the course of my life many other barriers have fallen, too. For instance, I used to think I couldn’t write. Well, as I’ve discovered over the last few years, obviously that’s not a problem anymore. Although it didn’t happen overnight, with much time, effort, and the sweat of my brow, I now claim to be a writer because, well, I write, right?But here’s the thing. If I were, for instance, to still insist I couldn’t write… Well, what would have happened is that particular barrier, which may have once been real, if you get my meanin’, is now simply imagined. See the difference? The fact that the barrier once actually existed always made a great excuse. Hey, I could always claim forces outside my control, y’know? (sound of millions of us shouting, “It’s not my fault!”) But now that it’s gone, well, why would I want to leave it hangin’, if you know what I mean?The good news, though, is lots of other use-to-be-barriers are gone, too. The question, though, is, have I been paying attention? That leads me to another question: I wonder what other barriers aren’t there anymore? Which of course leads up that all important final follow-up question: What barriers used to hold me back but now are gone and I now longer have excuse?I wonder… what barriers used to hold you back – but aren’t there any more?_________________ Tags: "Betty Skelton", amazing, astronaut, barrier, challenge, first, outstanding, speed8 responses so far Mobile RSS EmailWelcome to the Zone!Middle Zone Musings
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headers
H1
H2
The Road to Prosperity
Full Moon 3-19-11
Pincushion Cactus
Happy New Year 2011
Christmas, 2010
29 Years of Christmas Trees
1,000 And Counting: A Gift From Blogging
Should A Girl Be First In Space?
H3
The Road to Prosperity
Full Moon 3-19-11
Pincushion Cactus
Happy New Year 2011
Christmas, 2010
29 Years of Christmas Trees
1,000 And Counting: A Gift From Blogging
Should A Girl Be First In Space?
H4
H5
H6
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http://middlezonemusings.com/about-the-middle-zone/ | About the Zone |
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http://middlezonemusings.com/author/robert-hruzek/ | Robert Hruzek |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/change-the-world/ | Change the World |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/inspiration/ | inspiration |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/motivation/ | motivation |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/travel/ | travel |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/true-stories/ | true stories |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/ | The Road to Prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/ | |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/the-road-to-prosperity/ | Somewhere in central South Carolina |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/opportunity/ | opportunity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/prosperity/ | prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/road/ | road |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/south-carolina/ | South Carolina |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/#comments | 14 responses so far |
http://middlezonemusings.com/author/robert-hruzek/ | Robert Hruzek |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/uncategorized/ | Uncategorized |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4796/full-moon-3-19-11/ | Full Moon 3-19-11 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4796/full-moon-3-19-11/ | |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4796/full-moon-3-19-11/#comments | 63 responses so far |
http://middlezonemusings.com/author/robert-hruzek/ | Robert Hruzek |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/uncategorized/ | Uncategorized |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4795/pincushion-cactus/ | Pincushion Cactus |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4795/pincushion-cactus/ | |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4795/pincushion-cactus/#comments | 21 responses so far |
http://middlezonemusings.com/author/robert-hruzek/ | Robert Hruzek |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/change-the-world/ | Change the World |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/inspiration/ | inspiration |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/learning/ | learning |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/special-days/ | special days |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/true-stories/ | true stories |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4784/happy-new-year-2011/ | Happy New Year 2011 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4784/happy-new-year-2011/ | |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/new-years-day/ | "New Year's Day" |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/christmas/ | Christmas |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/elephant/ | elephant |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/flexibility/ | flexibility |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/flexible/ | flexible |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/future/ | future |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/gravity/ | gravity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/uncertain/ | uncertain |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4784/happy-new-year-2011/#comments | 18 responses so far |
http://middlezonemusings.com/author/robert-hruzek/ | Robert Hruzek |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/inspiration/ | inspiration |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/learning/ | learning |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/musings/ | musings |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/special-days/ | special days |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/true-stories/ | true stories |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4770/christmas-2010/ | Christmas, 2010 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4770/christmas-2010/ | |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/2010/ | 2010 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/christmas/ | Christmas |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/faith/ | faith |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/god/ | God |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/learn/ | learn |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/love/ | love |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/travel/ | travel |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/tree/ | tree |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4770/christmas-2010/#comments | 35 responses so far |
http://middlezonemusings.com/author/robert-hruzek/ | Robert Hruzek |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/communication/ | Communication |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/learning/ | learning |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/special-days/ | special days |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/writing/ | writing |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4754/1000-gift-from-blogging/ | 1,000 And Counting: A Gift From Blogging |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4754/1000-gift-from-blogging/ | |
../../../../../1469/watched/ | Watched |
../../../../../1471/they-were-wrong/ | They Were Wrong! |
../../../../../1473/horizons/ | Horizons |
../../../../../1474/somersault/ | Somersault |
../../../../../1476/clueless/ | Clueless |
../../../../../4639/poetry-corner-spikey-balls/ | Spiky Balls |
../../../../../4688/poetry-moment-morning-dew/ | Morning Dew |
../../../../../4736/poetry-moment/ | Fallen Starlight |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/1000/ | 1000 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/blogging/ | blogging |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/gift/ | gift |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/poetry/ | poetry |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/writing/ | writing |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4754/1000-gift-from-blogging/#comments | 25 responses so far |
http://middlezonemusings.com/author/robert-hruzek/ | Robert Hruzek |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/change-the-world/ | Change the World |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/commitment/ | commitment |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/goals/ | goals |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/inspiration/ | inspiration |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/leadership/ | leadership |
http://middlezonemusings.com/category/motivation/ | motivation |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4748/should-a-girl-be-first-in-space/ | Should A Girl Be First In Space? |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4748/should-a-girl-be-first-in-space/ | |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/betty-skelton/ | "Betty Skelton" |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/amazing/ | amazing |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/astronaut/ | astronaut |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/barrier/ | barrier |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/challenge/ | challenge |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/first/ | first |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/outstanding/ | outstanding |
http://middlezonemusings.com/tag/speed/ | speed |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4748/should-a-girl-be-first-in-space/#comments | 8 responses so far |
http://www.middlezonemusings.com | Mobile |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/ | The Road to Prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4796/full-moon-3-19-11/ | Full Moon 3-19-11 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4795/pincushion-cactus/ | Pincushion Cactus |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4784/happy-new-year-2011/ | Happy New Year 2011 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4770/christmas-2010/ | Christmas, 2010 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4754/1000-gift-from-blogging/ | 1,000 And Counting: A Gift From Blogging |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4748/should-a-girl-be-first-in-space/ | Should A Girl Be First In Space? |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4796/full-moon-3-19-11/comment-page-2/#comment-12557 | Full Moon 3-19-11 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/comment-page-1/#comment-12556 | The Road to Prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4796/full-moon-3-19-11/comment-page-2/#comment-12555 | Full Moon 3-19-11 |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/comment-page-1/#comment-12553 | The Road to Prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/comment-page-1/#comment-12550 | The Road to Prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/comment-page-1/#comment-12540 | The Road to Prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/comment-page-1/#comment-12530 | The Road to Prosperity |
http://middlezonemusings.com/4799/road-to-prosperity/comment-page-1/#comment-12525 | The Road to Prosperity |
http://www.middlezonemusings.com/about/ | Mrs. MZM |
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