Stuffleufagus

I woke up very early this morning. Before it was light out. I didn’t sleep well because the threat of storm would not let me.

Yet when I Woke up at 5:30 am, I felt awake. Unlike most mornings where I struggle to operate the coffee pot, this morning I felt clear headed. Which doesn’t make sense.

I had no coffee, I slept less than three hours, and I didn’t sleep well at all.

So going for a motorcycle ride was probably just stupid - especially since it was still dark, and the streets were still wet.

But I hadn’t ridden in a while, and I wasn’t ready to start my daily routine. So I just took off. No coffee. No idea where I was going.

I knew the storms hit hardest towards the northwest of me, so I rode southeast. I rode to China Grove, of the ZZ-Top song fame. I used to come here often with my Uncle, to fish in our illegal fishing spot not far away. We used to have so much fun doing little, and saying even less.

My Uncle has always been a quiet man. Being a Vietnam Vet who was wounded more than once, I never pressed him on what he had been through. But often, in the dark, with a nice little fire, sitting on the side of that creek bank, he would tell me things I know he shared with nobody else. Not his wife, or his own sons, or daughter.

He would tell me stories not of war, or courage.

Not of bravado or beer-brawls.

He would tell me about the people he knew. And although he never said as much, I knew that every person he talked to me about had not made it home. I could tell by the story, and the tone, and the lack of details about anything to do with them after the war. He never mentioned how they died. He never mentioned who they may have killed. He spoke about the person - the guy that wanted to open a hot-dog stand in New York, the guy who wanted to marry his High School sweetheart. The friends he made, and why he remembered them

But I never pressed him for more. I never intruded. I felt honored that he was sharing with me, and I didn’t have anything of value to add to the conversation.

And he didn’t expect me to.

He didn’t want to talk to me about these stories - he just needed to tell them.

And that’s where I sat for about 25 minutes this morning - in China Grove, Texas.

Eventually a fine mist started to fall and I decided I better head home - before the traffic started.

Every time I think I am ready to sell my motorcycle I have a moment like this - something that happens on my bike that just seems to not happen any other time.

And I know that if I sell her, I’ll just buy another. Since this one is paid for, I think I’ll keep her. She is cheaper than Prozac and a Shrink.

And infinitely more effective.

written by rob

[UPDATE - I just got a call from an un-named GlobeScape employee that tells me this is NOT them. He says it is a company called "Global Escape" and that the callers have such poor English that a lot of people have had the same misunderstanding. I really hope he is right. This didn't feel like something GlobeScape would do. But I would like someone from GlobeScape to officially disavow this.]

You feel sleazy.

I just received a marketing call - from a local company I have supported for years.

The company is GlobeScape. We once shared a wall in an office complex.

Now I don’t know if this was really GlobeScape or if the caller was just trying to scam me.

But either way, it hurts the GlobeScape brand.

I’ve used their CuteFTP Pro product for a very long time, and I even promoted it on Twitter over the last couple of days.

But tonight I was “randomly selected” as a “winner” to “celebrate” GlobeScape’s move to their new building.

I “won” a round trip ticket and two night hotel stay anywhere in the US.

Until I answered the “are you married” question.

I said, “No”. The guy (with poor English) then said, “Mr. Rob, do you have a live in girlfriend or partner?”

Nope, just me and my kids, I explained.

“I’m sorry sir”, he said. “This promotion is only for couples.”

And my “prize” went away. My “randomly” selected name meant nothing.

PLEASE - someone from GlobeScape tell me this wasn’t really you running this. If it was, it is dirty. The only reason you would limit it to couples only is if you are trying to sell me something.

And I am already your customer.

One you can only lose if you are actually involved in this.

written by rob

Today I deleted a bunch of comments. Well - at least 7.

Why?  They didn’t add anything to the conversation. One (deleted twice) was from someone looking to sub-lease their MOSSO account.  I have nothing against that (and would even like to do the same thing myself).

But I won’t use someone else’s blog to offset my expenses - and if I were inclined to, I would at least add to the conversation before I made my pitch.

I tolerate a lot of things, but blatant self promotion without adding any content of value to other readers just rubs me the wrong way.  So I delete those comments.

And I don’t really feel bad about it.  This *is* my bog, after all!

I don’t mind an occasional pitch for your blog, or your product.  But please, add some value in return for the link, OK?

written by rob

Maryam Scoble has just embarrassed me.

And yes, I love Maryam as well

People that really know me will know that I don’t like “tooting my own horn”.  Generally I like to be the quiet guy in the back of the room.

My blog is probably the only place I ever push my own agenda, and I try not to do it here either.  Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE it when my blog gets attention.  I’m just not as comfortable when *I* am getting attention.

So why am I linking to Maryam’s post?

Pride. I guess. I am just proud that I’ve been able to do a lot of little things that over time have come to mean more than any individual action.  Good grows.

And doing good grows on you.  It is a habit I can highly recommend.

And I’m hoping others realize it doesn’t really take a lot to do a lot.  Share your server with a blogger (or seven) from India.  Give a gal $10 to help save her family farm.  Contribute to an organization that encourages citizens to communicate with our deployed troops.

To me it isn’t interesting that I do these things.  What is interesting is that many people don’t.  I feel just as good giving someone ten dollars for a good cause as Bill Gates does getting a building on a campus named after him.

The giving are the gifted.  And it isn’t the size of the gift that matters.

What matters is that giving feels great - and giving gets other people to give.

And little things matter.

Thanks, Maryam. I truly appreciate you being a part of my life.

Rob La Gesse has tagged me to blog about the 4×4 theme that is going on right now, and I am too lazy and too fickle to do that, so I will write about four reasons I Red heart Rob La Gesse.

Maryamie: Four reasons I *Heart* Rob La Gesse

written by rob

I had to shut a bunch of stuff off to try and keep the page-loads as fast as possible.  Scoble linked to me, and the traffic  is really slowing things down.

I’ll put things back to normal when traffic slows down.

written by rob