The secret's out, I'm terrible at tag!

This morning I woke up to find my good buddy Dwayne Melancon gave me five this morning, and said I'm it. And he warned me that if I broke the chain, I would lose everything to the Nigerian e-mail scam.

So I thought about it, and I realized I must be terrible at tag. I mean who else gets tagged 4 times? Tony Clark got tagged 3 times, but 4 times and I actually played along each time? No problem, it's a fun way to help you know more about me. Maybe I'll use these as the basis for my About Phil page that is in sore need of a redesign?

If you're interested, you can read the other taggings here, here, and here.

So here goes 5 more things. Full disclosure: If you're reading this blog and involved in politics, you realize I would now never be able to run for Congress after sharing not 5, not 10, not 15, but now 20 secrets. Booyeah!

[OK Phil, enough stalling, just share your 5 things.]

Here goes.

1. I write more than just Make It Great! I also write a help desk blog at Help Desk Notes, a home technology blog at Wired Home, and I contribute to 100 Bloggers and Joyful Jubilant Learning. Make It Great! is my favorite for many reasons, mainly because of the reader interaction I get here. I am averaging almost a comment a post.
   
2. This blog started out as a blogspot blog (it's still online because I comment on many blogspot blogs and people find me that way.) I moved to TypePad right around my birthday in 2005 (December) because David St. Lawrence gave me a good kick in the butt and let me know trackbacks didn't work in Blogger. Thank you David. You gave me more help and I owe you more than I can tell you in a blog post or e-mail, and I hope one day when our paths cross you allow me to treat you for coffee and dinner.
   
3. We just added a baby niece to our family. She was born January 3rd, 2007 and she lives in a Seattle suburb. I haven't held her yet, though I tried to be there for her birth. She just didn't want to come out until after I got back to Milwaukee.
4. I read Seth Godin's blog for almost 2 years before I realized it was a blog. I saw him speak right after he got to Yahoo! at a corporate function, and he talked about going to his website and clicking on his head for the latest stuff. Remarkably, almost every time I did I got a new story. I had no idea how he took the time to re-code his website every day (I used to code a LOT of HTML by hand). Now I know the secret, and it's just Seth's writing that is remarkable, not the technology so much.
5. I was a dork until I turned 17. [And now I'm a relationship geek. And I think this is better? Talking to myself with this side commentary I feel like Exidor on Mork & Mindy. But I digress! :)] I didn't have a lot of friends because I wasn't nice to people and I often kept to myself, and I thought I was a major smarty pants. I didn't value relationships, at all. Not with anybody. It's probably why I don't talk to many of the people I went to school with. Thankfully I realized this was no way to be about age 17, but the damage was done; to my reputation (I only dated 1 girl from my school while I was in high school), and to my friendships (I only talk to 1 person I went to high school with now). And if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have been such a dork. So if you're from Crivitz High School Class of 1992, please accept my apology. I'm different now.
   
6. One more: I love to connect with people. OK, this is no secret. The reason I blog so much is because of the people. I could never shut down my comments or hide my e-mail address from view. I spend 20 hours or more a week blogging online, and I love to get comments and respond to those as quickly as is physically possible. I reply via e-mail to most of them personally, as I assume people are like me and drive by comment and don't return to the same post to see if anyone had a follow-up to it. The people aspect of my relationship geek nature is what I am most passionate about. It's why I'm a help desk manager by day, it's why I serve in various other areas in the offline world.
   

Do you enjoy reading my 5 things? Did you get this far? It's national delurking week. Tell me what you think.

[Phil Gerbyshak loves a rainy night, he loves a rainy night, he loves to hear the thunder, watch the lightning, as it lights up the sky. You know it makes him feel good.]


Technorati Tags: phil gerbyshak, 5things, tag

Comments

[Tony D. Clark]

Well, actually Phil - I got tagged 4 times too - I was just lazy and combined two I got at once into one post. But I'm not being competitive or anything ;)

"I didn't have a lot of friends... I often kept to myself... I didn't value relationships..." Wow, I never would have guessed. It's amazing how we grow and change. The "Phil brand" is so ingrained in my mind as the relationship geek, I almost couldn't imagine you any other way.

You know - believe it or not - there was a time when I was a smart-ass, and hated to do any real work, but... oh, well, I guess there are some things that stay the same... :)

[Valeria Maltoni]

Phil:

I'm just not catching up with the comments as I too added a new blog to my writing and full time job: Fast Company Experts blog. I'll be writing a weekly post on Customer Conversation there.

The reason why I read your blog is that you get relationships. My day could be filled up to the gills and I still would find time to meet new people and greet old friends. Relationships in the old country are for life, so I guess you're stuck with me.

[Patrick]

Ok, I admit I have been ignoring a lot of "tags" going around the past couple of weeks as I scan through my news feeds but I read yours. I had a feeling yours would be great! You didn't disappoint. Anyone that gives an Exidor reference from Mork and Mindy is cool especially when they compare themselves to him! Exidor was more alien that Mork! I went to high school or maybe it was Jr. High during the time Mork and Mindy was on their air and I had a classmate who liked to pretend he was Exidor.

[Rick Cockrum]

Shoot! I didn't go out with any girls from my high school.

I like the line from Tombstone where someone asks Doc Holliday why he's helping Wyatt Earp. Doc says Because he's my friend. The other person say's Friend? Hell, I got lots of friends. Doc says I don't.

[Terry Starbucker]

5 secrets is good, 10 is excellent, 15 is pretty fabulous, but 20 secrets......now that's prolific (and stupendous)! You are the "main man of the blogosphere", and continue to be quite an inspiration to me. See you again soon! All the best.

[John Richardson]

Mr. Phil,
It's interesting how people change. I was pretty quiet in High School, and as the president of the Rocket Club, not the most social person on campus. My speech teacher changed all that. After I took Mr French's speech and debate class, I actually came out of my shell. Over the past few years, Toastmasters has completed the transformation.

I'm impressed that you did a 180. I figured you for a talker since birth. It's funny that many of my friends and family still don't know what a blog is. I guess I need to post a picture of my head so they can click on it... Just like Mr. Godin.

Now about that Mr. Melancon... may his e-mails be forwarded through every spam checker there is...

Cheers..

John

[Maria Palma]

Hi Phil,

I'm going to "delurk" myself and comment here :) I love reading your blog because it feels like I'm sitting here in front of you having a conversation! Thanks for all the inspiration and customer service stories...

[David St Lawrence]

I, too spent many years as a geek, both in school and as an engineer/designer/manager. It wasn't until I passed 40 that I cognited that toys like sports cars, gadgets, high tech accouterments were no substitute for meaningful relationships.

Thanks for the acknowledgement! Your blog is a pleasure to read and your enthusiasm is infectious!

I see that you have discovered the works of Napoleon Hill. Being part of a Mastermind group is an amazing experience.

Continue to make this an especially great year!