I would like to introduce my friend Jack Steiner aka TheJackB; he has graciously accepted an invitation to my ‘ghost in the post’ series. Jack is a writer, author and former athlete. You can find him at TheJackB. It will be well worthwhile to pay him a visit sometime; please enjoy this post.
I am not here to inspire or teach you anything. I am not going to use the words in this post to promote my blog, myself or any one in thing in particular.
Instead I am just going to write with reckless abandon and without a care about whether this will generate one comment or one thousand.
This is not a gimmick or a ploy. It is unadulterated Jack and at the moment it is all I have got to give and I am ok with that. I am ok with it because life has been more than crazy lately.
My grandfather died last week and my sister is getting married this coming weekend. Oh, did I mention that my family is moving in two weeks. I think that it is fair to say that I have a few things on my plate.
So you might wonder why it is that I am writing this post instead of taking care of the 1,983,983 things that take priority over blogging. The answer is simple.
I love to write and I find it to be relaxing. The simple act of putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard to create and construct takes the edge off of things. It helps me to understand, clarify and define what it is I think, feel, believe and or need to do.
These words that you see and the paragraphs that you read are being composed on the fly. This is part of a 15 minute break that I have built into my day. I am not concerned with metrics because I haven’t got the time for it and frankly my fragile male ego isn’t up to wondering or worrying about anything more than the things that I am focused upon.
Lean On Me
Whenever I write I like to listen to music. It helps me set the tone and pace of the piece that I am working on. Sometimes I listen to playlists that I have made and sometimes I just stick the player on shuffle and listen to whatever happens to come across the speakers.
Call it coincidence, kismet, fate, destiny or whatever you wish, but something interesting has just happened to me. In the middle of writing this guest post Lean On Me by the great Bill Withers just happened to play and if ever there was an appropriate song for blogging that is it.
“Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on”
Those words and that song serve as a great reminder that the blogosphere provides an opportunity to be a part of a community. It is a reminder that if you open yourself up to possibilities there are friendships to be made and relationships that can be built.
You don’t always have to spend time in person with someone to create a friendship. There are people out here in cyberspace who are amazing and who want to be your friend. And if you let them they will help you.
So maybe I was wrong when I said that I wasn’t here to promote any ideas or to try and teach anyone anything. Maybe what I should have done is talked about community, its importance and its value.
If I had the time I would go back and rewrite this but the sand has almost run out of my hourglass and I need to return to the reality that I live in. But the beauty of life and blogging is that you can always start over. You can always create a fresh start and that is what these final paragraphs are about.
Social media is about being social and meeting people. If you want to get something out of it ignore the numbers and pay attention to the people. They may not always remember what you have done but they will remember how you made them feel.
The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/TheJackB
billdorman 
Hi Bill,
Very moving post. Very honest and tender. Thank you for offering a helping hand to all that “read you”.
I love the song, by the way, and there are few more rewarding things to do with life than helping others the best way you can.
I wish you all the best,
xxxx
Susana
Jack did a good job and with all he has going on, it’s amazing he can still crank this out. You need to go to his site and check him out, he does a great job.
Thanks for coming by and taking the time to comment; much appreciated.
FWIW, when I wrote this it was the Bill Wither’s version of the song that I was listening to and not the Club Nouveau- not that it really matters.
But you are right about Bill, he is a good guy.
I was wondering which version you were listening too. I think I may go to Spotify and listen to both. ‘Lean On Me’ is one of those rare songs, with multiple versions, where I don’t feel strongly that one is better than the other. Great post.
Hey Jack!
I have to agree…writing is cathartic AND fun.For me the most important thing is feedback which gives me evidence of some sort of connection. I know that at first my stuff was read by friends and family out of curiosity, then I think it switched a bit to duty (I can’t not read it, she’ll think I don’t like/support her), and once in a while a real connection is made- when I find someone who gets what I’m doing w/family history and wants some help.In the meantime it’s all good It’s all a figurative pat on the back. I need that!
Thanks Jack!
Betsy
Feedback is good and a real connection is even better. Sometimes it feels like you are shouting down a hole, but if you are purposeful I think you can find what you are seeking.
Thanks for dropping by today; sorry we could never get your sound on the video call yesterday.
Hi Betsy,
I am often surprised that people read my posts but almost always pleased. I think that the family history stuff is fascinating. With all the stuff that has been going on in my life we have spent a lot of time talking about that, not that we didn’t before but now it is intensified.
“Lean on me…when you’re not strong…” I love this song. And Jack, as I’ve mentioned to you on your blogsite, I love your writing…poetic even when not poetry, lyrical and captivating. This post is no different.
I wish you well on your move, and the 1,938,983 things on your plate:) And just because my brain works this way…did you pick that number for a reason? You know that if you add each digit together it comes to 41, and if you break that into a single digit of 4 + 1 = 5. Is 5 a significant number to you? This is totally irrelevant…or perhaps synchronistic? Again…it’s just how my mind works.
Thanks again for a great post, Jack, and Bill…you’re starting to become visible…I’m going to have to get you a cloaking device. Hope your birthday yesterday was awesome Bill:) Cheers! Kaarina
Great birthday yesterday and thanks for the wishes. I’m still trying to find my clothes….:).
Now that’s deep with the numbers and I’ll go even deeper; what if jack did not intentionally do that but subconsciously he did for a reason? Hmmmmm…….
Thanks for giving Jack some love today; he needs a virtual hug.
Bill, you forgot to say, Kaarina is smart like that!
Bill, I’m always happy to send cyber hugs, so Jack…this one’s for you:)
And Craig…I like your comment:)
Kaarina, you crack me up. I am so glad I broke my vow and popped in to Bill’s place to see some of my favorite people here!
So I guess you gave up coffee instead?
Happy to provide a crack-up:)
Kaarina,
Thanks. I hadn’t added up the numbers but that is something that I sometimes do. Not to go off on a complete tangent, but it reminds me of something in Judaism we call Gematria in which letters are assigned numerical value.
For example the Hebrew word for Life is “Chai” which has a numerical value of 18. Anyway, I tend not to get too caught up in Gematria, but I find some of it to be fun.
Thanks again for the kind words, I appreciate it.
Bill, don’t know how I missed it-but Happy Birthday my friend. Hope you really enjoyed it.
I did buddy, it was a good day to be me. I was definitely feelin’ some love. Thanks for the wishes.
Jack, if you didn’t see above, I’m sending you a cyber hug:) Great post…it was fun to play with the numbers.
Kaarina, I’ll gladly accept that cyber hug- thank you.
Kaarina, speaking of numbers, here’s something I saw today that you ought to get a kick out of…
“Gd in the stock market!? For each day the Stock Market closed this week, the total of the digits of the change on the Dow Jones is the number 26. Monday close – 634.76 = 26 Tuesday close + 429.92 = 26 Wednesday close – 519.83= 26 An actuary in shul said the odds of this are millions to one. The number 26 is the sum of the name of Gd-Hashem – yud=10, hay =5, vav = 6 hay = 5 grand total 26.” ~Tweet by Rabbi Anchelle Perl
WOW….just WOW!
Now that is spooky; hey Jack, have a comment on this one? Does that mean to get in or get out of the market?
Interesting indeed; thanks for sharing.
Bill, I have sat in on discussions about Gematria in which they demonstrate how everything is connected to everything. That is where they had that Bible codes stuff come from years ago.
I find a lot of it interesting and can point out a bunch of other “interesting” stuff but I am not ready to say that I would live based upon those ideas.
I like the way you see numbers, Kaarina.
Hey Stan, I like the numbers with $$$$$ in front of them………:)
Thanks Stan:)
Kaarina is smart like that AND much deeper than you think. She will always amaze………
You just made my day Bill!
‘Instead I am just going to write with reckless abandon and without a care about whether this will generate one comment or one thousand’. I like this comment Jack; I did have a taste of traffic and I feel it made me act a little different than when I started and thought I was truly invisible. I’m at the point, I’m just going to move forward on my terms whether I stay ‘Mr Popular’ or not.
I also like: You don’t always have to spend time in person with someone to create a friendship. I feel I have developed a friendship with you as well. You are a little more guarded than some and somewhat cryptic in some of your messages, but it’s you and you are consistent with it.
With all you have going on, I do appreciate you taking the time to do a GP here. In fact, I think I just might turn the keys over and have it GP all the time………..:).
Good to see you and hope both of our communities have the opportunity to enjoy this.
Hi Bill,
I probably am more guarded than most, but when you are the future King of England and all the world pays attention to your every move you must be careful. 😉
Absolutely sir…………
This is great, Jack. Thanks. You too, Bill. This is the kind of stuff that keeps me wanting to read more blogs and find great people writing them. I love “Lean On Me”, also. Great lyrics.
So much good info here. Look forward to reading more from you, Jack. Best of luck with all that “Life” stuff. I know it will all work out.
Al
Jack can keep you covered up in quality material. Not only has he been doing this for awhile, he has great depth as well.
Thanks for paying him a visit and you will enjoy getting to know him.
Hi Al,
Yep, all this life stuff comes and goes. Sometimes I think that the biggest advantage to not being 25 anymore is having enough life experience to recognize that things really do pass.
The hard part is trying to remember that when you are in the middle of the storms that life sometimes presents.
Sigh. Bill is going all soft on us. No more posts on the grit and struggles of everyday working class America. No more posts on why he loves the Yankees or how he dreams of moving to Morocco.
Humor aside now WB JackB! Love this post. And Bill knows I am a crank who even makes Leon seem all happy and carefree. I agree that writing and blogging helps bridge vast distances and connect people in ways that help us get through everyday life in various ways. Sometimes what we write about our friends we see everyday could never understand or help us through things.
I read your post Jack about your grandfather and was very touched. And now your sister starts a new adventure in life assisted I hope with an open bar and smiling guests LOL
I will say I am glad we have crossed paths.
And very refreshing after all the drama on so many blogs lately. I know business is competitive and not all bloggers are.
But I am getting into insuring high risk assets just so I can fight with Bill here on his blog over financial risk theory. 8)
That was called whining and you kept calling me out on it so I had to come up with a new strategy.
I’m not sure if his sister will be getting wed in a Jewish ceremony, but those rock. I attended my niece’s wedding and it was a Jewish ceremony. We were drinking wine DURING the ceremony. How cool is that? I thought Catholics liked to imbibe, but they didn’t hold a candle to this…………
My financial risk theory is still ‘buy low, sell high’…………..you can’t insure everything dammit, but you also can never have too much insurance………….just sayin’……:)
Hey Howie,
Good to see you here. These blogs that we hang out on have more value than a lot of people realize. They provide a different sort of dynamic and enable relationships/friendships to build very quickly and in a different way than in the “real world.”
I am grateful for all of the kind words and thoughts from you and everyone else. But I still think that I am crankier than both you and Leon. 😉
Yes, I have seen some crankiness but you do seem to keep it in check…..;)
Leon is not all happy and carefree?!
Yeah, what’s up with that?
When I first thought of starting a blog I was so concerned about what people would think and say that it paralyzed me. Somehow, I took the first step and then read a quote by Penelope Trunk who said, “In the beginning nobody’s reading and nobody cares.” and even though that sounds negative it freed me up to write the way I wanted. Kind of a funny mantra, but it works!
Great post Jack! And my first time to your site Bill. I’ll be back!
Hi Sandi. Penelope is right- in the beginning no one knows you are out there and you can just write. Sometimes I miss those days as there was a certain innocence about all of this.
Blogging has a lot to offer. It is not unlike a lot of things where you get out what you put in.
The early days were fun when you can be a total knucklehead and it’s still acceptable.
Good to see you ma’am and thanks for stopping by to say hello to Jack.
How about the time you first hit publish………..and then I had a reality check and thought, nobody is going to read this; hence the invisible moniker. However, people did start to read it, but it has been a very good experience for me. Albeit with a little whining, but I have a very supportive community.
I do hope you can make it by again.
I DO remember the first time I hit publish…probably the most intense panic attack of my life 😉
I was waiting for somebody to start screaming at me ‘you impostor, what do you think you are doing’? Fortunately, the only thing I heard was crickets……….:)
I just love this post!! Good luck tackling that monster to-do list!!
Hi Jennifer. Every day I go battle that monster to-do list and hope that I manage to “kill” it. Thus far the monster still stands, but so do I. 😉
And my bet is on you to be the last one standing……….
Thanks for stopping by to say hi to Jack. If you haven’t had the chance, you need to go visit his place too.
Thanks for this, Jack. Your spirit is a much-needed lift in my week.
Hi Paige,
I am glad to hear that. I always tell my kids that helping others is a good way to help ourselves.
Jack and BIll, I am not supposed to be engaging for the rest of this month. I promised myself all energy would be to put out the fires that are about to consume my family and me. But here are the two of you…providing the forum and the words that jumped from my inbox and into my heart to make me feel a tiny bit better today.
Thanks for being friends I am leanin’ on! You just didn’t know it! And that’s the way friendship works its best.
Hi Mimi,
Those fires tend to be there whether we spend all day fighting them or take some time to clear our heads. Glad to hear that you can lean on us a bit, it makes it all a bit easier.
Yay, it’s ok to sneak a peak and so glad you did. Hopefully you get all that other stuff under control because you sure will be missed if we don’t see your sweet, smiling face around.
Thanks for saying hi to Jack today; he did a great post.
Hi Jack,
Only 1,983,983 things to do? I’ve got at least one more than that.
This was beautiful. (I say that a LOT in my comments to you, don’t I?) I can tell you write for the love of writing and that it brings you peace. I think writers have something that no one else does (and this is why I always encourage my kids to KEEP A JOURNAL) – we have a ready and willing ear whenever we want one! We have a way to get what’s on our minds and in our hearts out so we can deal with it. We have a way to organize the chaos and remind ourselves that everything WILL be OK. We’re really blessed, even if we’re not stellar writers (like you) – it’s worth the exercise. Even if no one reads it!
So sorry about your grandfather.
Lori
Hi Lori,
Sometimes I laugh at life, or should I say laugh about how odd it can be. As a kid I hated journaling and didn’t like writing very much at all. It all seemed to be a huge waste of time to me.
That has obviously changed. You are right about how writing helps to organize the chaos and clear our minds. I am quite grateful for that.
The funny thing is, people are actually reading our stuff whether it’s epic or not. I think it’s a great way to help with your communication with others as well.
Good to see you yesterday and today. I bombed Frank’s GP, hopefully I didn’t trash the place up too bad.
Take care ma’am.
Jack is totally epic! 24-7! He’s a grim-faced giant almost single-handedly holding back a million mommy army of bloggers. [grin]
Hey Jack and Bill,
I am actually listening to lean on me right now. Thanks a lot for mentioning this brilliant song. I also listen to music while writing. I find it relaxing, and it helps my thoughts to be somewhere far away from my kids yelling. Right now, they are yelling, and I can hardly hear my own thoughts.
What I haven’t been doing, is write for 15 minutes when I have a break. I usually don’t write unless I have about 1 hour. I’m not sure why I’m not. But it sort of feels like I need more time. When I start writing, my mind drifts away, and if I only have 15 minutes, I think I’ll be kind of sad that it’s all over almost before I got started. But I don’t know. Do you write for 15 minutes often?
I am writing my first novel, and I have finished the first draft. It felt great. But, now, editing it, I feel like I’m actually not sure what I’m doing. I just keep reading and writing the same stuff over again 🙂
Sorry to hear about your grandfather Jack.
Jens
Hi Jens,
I hear you about the editing part! YIKES! I’m there too! You think you know what you’re doing until you get together with the editor and then you feel like you’re back in grade two, just learning how to write – letters! I’m sure every writer feels this way – don’t they 😮
Lori
Ok all you book people; I jumped into the blogging, I might have to draw the line at a book…………:)
Quit you’re whining and get back to that last run-on sentence.
Yes, I feel like I’m in grade two again. 400+ pages, and I’m adjusting every single sentence 🙂
Hi Jens,
Given the choice I usually prefer to have more than 15 minutes to write but sometimes it is all I have. There are some advantages to having a smaller window to work in. The primary one is that it helps avoid getting caught in the trap of over thinking things.
Instead of mulling things over you put pen to paper and go.
Editing can be a real pain sometimes. I readily admit that I am not a big fan of it, but it is usually necessary and a good way to tighten up a post/essay/book etc.
Thank you for your kind words about my grandfather.
Over thinking; you think any of us do that on a post in waiting?
Hey Jens, who is yelling at who?…………..:).
I’ve been trying the 15 minute gig (I still have to be in front of the computer to do it) and probably have 10 unfinished posts waiting for attention. Some that I let sit don’t seem relevant after a week or so however.
Thanks for coming by and saying hi to Jack, he wrote a good post for here; it was much appreciated.
Hey Jens, you haven’t disclosed what your book is about yet, have you?
I wrote a blog post about it a few months back, but so much have happened since then, and my book has evolved. Now, it’s too difficult to explain by just writing a few sentences. It’s sort of a thriller, although a lot of different things are going on. It’s about a serial killer. People are getting killed. And the people that are getting killed are all naked and painted in different colors.
I’ll reveal more in a blog post in about a week 😉
The premise sounds intriguing; I’m assuming an English version, right? Can’t wait to find out more about it.
This version is in Norwegian. But if I get it published, I’ll get you an English version 🙂
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It was a joy to read this. Life’s hectic in my neck of the woods, too, but writing – whether that be writing about marketing or working on a new poem – tends to bring some balance back to that life. I also appreciate the thoughts about friendship and community. Developing a community and having friends, regardless of where they live, is essential.
Hi Erin,
Balance is what I seek. As hokey as it sounds it is like a never ending quest but the goal is one that is worth reaching for, or so I think.
Or at least the feeling of balance, whether it’s real or not.
Developing and nurturing a community is essential. I think it helps bring meaning and balance at times; know that you really mean something to somebody.
I am on my iPhone typing this which I never do. It’s not an easy task. But I am compelled to write comment.
Social media has changed my life. I not only made new friends but have gotten through hard times simply by seeking blogs and posts that feel like I do at the time. From strangers that I will never know.
But I have also found long lost friends. Relationships I treasured as a kid and then moved to never think of staying in contact. These people I adore and will never lose again.
Social media has helped me feel human and accepted. When someone says “whatever, I’m not on Facebook” or “why would I have twitter or a blog?” I feel bad for them. Just on a basic level it is fun to find people like you and lost friends (and even family).
I know, the Internet and SM is not for everyone and I respect that but don’t put us down for loving it.
Yay! Got all that in with one finger and a phone!
Awesome post!
~Allie
Hello ma’am, glad you persevered to respond. Jack did a great job and glad to see the people coming by to enjoy it.
I can say, we would have probably not met and what are the chances of me ending up on a mommy blog, huh? Well, if there are going to be girls around I’ll probably show up……….:)
I have certainly enjoyed getting to know you and hope you feel I have been able to make you smile a time or two. I do appreciate your friendship.
Jack is also someone you should check out; he produces quality content day after day….in fact, I think I’m giving him my site………:)
Good to see you today.
Oh my…sounds like you are busy. But the wedding should be priority…like I said on your blog, nothing worse than an angry woman on her wedding day..!
Great to see you over at Bill. He is making a ghost out of many it seems.
Life does get hectic but it all just comes down to priorities, what you love doing and what makes you happy. If they are way different then you know one might be going wrong!
Thanks for the wonderful reminder 🙂
Hi Hajra,
Things are busy, as an old friend used to say I am busier than a one armed man in a paper hanging contest. Of course I am forced to add his other line about doing worse than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.
The family is excited about the wedding and while we miss grandpa we really are focused on fun here, especially since so many have come in from out of town.
I tried doing what made me happy; but drinking beer and playing golf seemed to bring about as much money as my blogging activities so far………:). At least w/ blogging I’m in the office, huh?
Good to see you ma’am, thanks for saying hello to Jack. Hopefully you have your next post ready….
Jack, you got a “great post” from Brian (@extremelyavg) – that is HIGH praise!
I loved this post. #thatisall
Hey Shonali,
I like hearing, er reading that. It is always nice to know that we are appreciated. Hope you are having a great day.
Hey, I want a ‘great post’ from Brian…..I guess I have to have a ‘great post’ first, huh? Life is so cruel at times…….:)
Good to see you, even if I had to bait my site w/ Jack, but I’m sneaky like that.
Hope all is well with you.
Jack, very sorry to hear about your grandfather. And, dealing with everything else you mentioned sounds beyond overwhelming. I guess composing on the fly is incredible therapy, … but what the hell are metrics, man 🙂 Your writing style, which is, kind of … for lack of a better term … stream of consciousness … your current situation, into Bill Withers, and a reminder to us about relationships, all without a hiccup! I bet you like James Joyce.
For me, writing is a mighty struggle, but Jack, you just crank this stuff out. Crank. It. Out. Man!! I think your posts are creative, refreshing and they make you happy, but not sure how you can only spend about 15 minutes and put a post in the can. That’s something to be proud of. I’m now writing posts for my blog and I’m embarrassed how long it takes me to craft a couple of paragraphs. I need to speed up, by cracky!
Writing is like a purifying ritual for me too though, and it does feel good to put your feelings down on paper. A meditation.
Nice work as usual, Mr. Jack. This is getting ridiculous though! I used to visit Bill’s place about once a week. Now he’s popping up in my email every other day. Pretty soon he’ll have Darren Rouse or Brian Clark guest posting over here.
Hi Craig,
If you practice enough writing is something that gets easier over time. You are absolutely correct about stream of consciousness and my writing. It is part of what I enjoy about blogging I just sit down and start writing.
Part of the beauty of blogging is that it doesn’t have to be tied into the same rules as a formal essay. All you need to do is create a beginning, middle and end and you are half way there.
If you think it is stew or soup all you need to do to make it better than average is sprinkle some spices into it and bam!
Beyond that I always recommend not to over think things. Just write and then write some more. It really does get easier over time.
Actually I’ve always wanted to write and a blog is perfect, ’cause it’s the internet and nobody is there to read it anyway. Well, maybe a few people 🙂 I certainly like the fact the you can abandon the traditional rules and I don’t have to break out the style manual every time I have a question.
I like your thinking of words as a stew or soup, Emeril Lagasse style, with that bam!
I’m great at over-thinking and overworking, but now I’m just doing the work and planning on having something up and running by September.
Thanks for the advice, Jack. Have a good one!
I’m going to twice daily……..
Don’t get any ideas, Jack has some dormant blogs that I’ve already contracted to pull some of the content out and use my name on it.
Jack is deep, very deep buddy. He is one of these ‘real’ writers.
Thanks for coming by Craig and you can’t tell me you haven’t put lipstick on at least once….
Have a good one.
Yeah, the internet is a pretty safe place to start if you don’t want anybody to read your stuff……….it’s biodegradable and disappears after 30 days………..:)
I wanted to comment, then I forgot. Now I am back. I really do love this Jack. People are there for us more than we realize, if we allow them to be. 😉
I always find that the easiest way out of something is to go help someone else. No matter what it is, it always seems to help.
We are all here to help one another. Where would we be without that?
Great post, glad I came back.
I always find that the easiest way out of something is to go help someone else. No matter what it is, it always seems to help…..so true Nancy, it helps to put things in perspective.
Thanks for coming by to say ‘hi’ to Jack on your birthday.
Hi Nancy. I think that you are absolutely right about that. The first step is always the hardest, but after that…
Kind of like running for exercise; some days you try to talk yourself out of it, but once you hit that first step…………….sometimes that first step is the hardest…..
Jack:
Bill Withers is a good friend – in a manner of speaking. I dial him up on the iPhone from time to time. Grandma’s hands is another of my favorites.
Since Stacey Herbert brought it about friendship on DIY, I have been wanting to write a blog post about why online friendship is every inch as real, worthwhile, and “present” as offline friendship.
And, sometimes, more so. It comes down to time, attention, share, and empathy – online or offline.
The same goes for community.
Sounds like my next podcast…
Bill:
How does it feel to be a rockstar and have so many cool friends?
It comes down to time, attention, share, and empathy – online or offline. Stan the man, couldn’t have been said better.
If I’m in, I’m all in and I think it has allowed to develop deeper and sustainable relationships.
Cool friends indeed, but we are all on the same boat buddy. Hopefully we are all able to pull each other forward.
Good to see you, thanks for saying hi to Jack.
There ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone…………….:)
I don’t have as much to say today, but here goes:
Jack, that was beautifully poetic. I especially loved your line, “They may not always remember what you have done but they will remember how you made them feel.” This is absolutely 100% true!
Bill, I hope you had an awesome birthday! 🙂
Hey Alicia thanks for coming by. I like your reference to: but they will remember how you made them feel.” This is absolutely 100% true! It is so true and it doesn’t take that much to make someone feel special. That’s my MO, and I’m sticking to it……
Good to see you today.
Hi Alicia. I am not the first person to come up with that line but I know from experience that is true. Thanks so much for your comment, I really appreciate it.
Like Nancy, I was here earlier, decided I needed to think a bit before commenting, and now, many hours later, I am back.
Jack, your words always have so much power. You make me laugh and cry and think about things I’d never considered before. Words connect all of us, and that connection is strong. We can all lean on each other.
See, Jack is all cerebral and deep; you can just read my stuff and drop a ‘nice post’ and it’s all good….:).
On layers of deepness, Jack is the taproot; he does a great job and glad he lets me hang around.
Thanks for stopping by and saying hello to Jack.
You are so very right about words connecting us. It is honestly something that never ceases to amaze me, I love it.
Hi Jack
Thanks I needed to hear this
I don’t feel so alone now. Sorry
about your grand dad passing.
I’ll be praying for you and your
family for better times.
Hugs Bonnie
Hey Bonnie, thanks for giving Jack words of encouragement and support; I’m sure he appreciates it very much right now.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Thank you Bonnie, I really appreciate that.
[…] damn good when I am cleaned up. Just a few more minutes to say that if you haven’t read my latest guest post you […]
Geez… show up late, and there’s 97 comments and no room for an original thought. Jack you are so prolific it astounds me. To write the above in 15 minutes or so is very impressive. As said above, I too read the post abut your grandfather and found it moving. You have such a way of exploring your catharsis in the open halls of the blogosphere — it is truly unique and courageous.
Your closing point about the relationships and community of the blogsphere is so true. It is the one thing that is virtually inexplicable to people who have not experienced it.
As far as all of these coincidental numbers, my strange coincidence is that I just mentioned Lean on Me a few comments ago on Bill’s music post. Of course, I was referring to the movie and Guns N Roses — but still… 🙂
Good stuff Jack!
Sickening isn’t it, the way he can just crank out quality. I’d say let’s kick his ass but he’s pretty wound up right now and I don’t think I could take him anyway; maybe you could with your MMA stuff………:).
He’s blowin’ it up, isn’t he? I swear I’m going exclusively guest posts; I have nothing to offer after stuff like this……..
I concur about the people who know it and have experienced vs the ones who don’t even want to try. 99% of my real life friends don’t even know I have a blog and I’m sure I would catch grief if they did. All I know is social media is here to stay and you can try to ignore it, or just embrace it at some point.
GNR, huh? Terminator 2…………:)
Good to see you Adam, thanks for taking the time to stop by.
P.S. More than a few people will tell you that I need a good ass kicking. A couple pieces of advice:
1) Two people have hit me in the head and broken their hands.
2) I fight dirty. I am a graduate of the Moe, Larry and Curly school of battle.
Hi Adam,
There is a rhythm to writing and when I am feeling it I tend to be able to compose faster than most people- but the quality is something that I always look at.
Most of the time it is alright, but I have made more than a few egregious errors that make me cringe. Today I found that I wrote “here” instead of “hair.” Yikes, I hate that.
There is a reason why 3,000 people went to BlogHer ’11 and most of it has to do with community/relationships and less with trying to monetize our blogs. Hope you have a great day.
And I’m resigned to the fact I’m more ‘cute’ than ruggedly handsome so I don’t want anybody messin’ up my grille. I’ve humored my way out of more than one altercation.
Now that’s a hard head Jack! While Bill might advocate such extreme measures, I prefer subtler methods. Like Bill distracting you with that boyish humor, while I snap a picture of your actual face. Then the blackmail begins… 🙂
That is a great gift you have. I have to revise heavily. My first drafts are barely comprehensible.
Adam,
I bet that your first drafts are better than you realize. We tend to be overly critical of our own work. I dislike most of the posts that I write.
As for a picture of my face, well that is easy. You can find a picture at:
There has to be at least ONE Jewfro pic out there; at least cut it loose with your circle of friends…….we will pinky swear we won’t drag it out when you become rich and famous and try to make money off of it to make you look silly………..:)
There are many but I don’t know if any have been scanned in. I’ll take a look and see what I can find.
[…] Lean On Me by Bill […]
As I have come to expect from TheJackB, he dips his quill in the inkwell of real life and caresses the page with a tender familiarity that so many of us can lean into and enjoy. Billy
That was a prolific reply sir, but you are right; this is what we expect from TheJackB. Thanks for coming by and saying hello to him.
Hi Billy. You my friend are a poet and I appreciate your kind words.
Hey Jack,
I can’t believe I didn’t make it around last week to comment on this post. As always, great job my friend, pleasure to see you over here at Bill’s place.
So sorry to hear about the passing of your grandfather. That’s never an easy place to be and then you have your sister’s wedding coming up. But then again, his passing wasn’t expected so who knew right.
But glad you took some much needed time out of your day and shared your thoughts with us. As always, awesome job.
I hope you have a much better week this week.
Adrienne