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Who knew there were so many stories to tell? Who knew there would be so many God things to relate? Well, apparently someone knew, because this episode marks one year for this podcast series. Happy Anniversary, Baby Got You on My Mind? I'm jimpolling. This is my view from the Middle. I really need the Little Riverband to sing about now, but I think they're tied up, still touring after fifty years, so I'll just have to speak the lyrics. Happy Anniversary, Baby Got You on My Mind? Yes, if you look at my View from the Middle dot com website, you'll see that we've actually produced twenty six of these episodes, one for every two weeks of the year. Who to thunk it? This whole thing started as a book that I was going to write when I retired. But after thinking about it and I realized that I'm not an author. I'm a broadcaster, have been for forty years. Why change things now? Besides, have I wrote a book? Who'd buy it? Books are so expensive to produce, aside from setting up a studio, podcasts are relatively cheap, and so this podcast was born. Now a reality check here, this isn't exactly a podcast on the popularity level. Of Joe Rogan or Tucker Carlson. Out of twenty six episodes as of this recording, I've made about five dollars in advertising revenue. If this keeps up, I'll be a dollarare But the listenership is growing slowly. Anyone can go to the website and listen to any one of the episodes in whatever order they want. But it has given me an opportunity to tell you my stories of being in the middle of some extraordinary and weird things. It's given me an opportunity to tell you about the god things in my life, both good and not so good. And yes, it's given me a place to event about some of the frustrations in the world of media and broadcasting. My hope is that you can relate to these stories. I've tried to make them fun or at least not tedious to listen to. They're also pretty short. I can't sit and listen to an hour long podcast myself, so why would I subject you to that. If you're new to the podcast, I'll give you a quick summary. I've told you about the time I was in the middle of road rage and my way to cover a Space Shuttle mission. Episode one, Blood on the floor about the time I spent a couple of hours talking with a famous baseball player at a bar and didn't know who he was. Episode two, A clueless Brush with Greatness. In episode three a God Thing, I talk about how there are no such things as coincidences. I was in the middle of one of the biggest maritime disasters in Tampa Bay history that I talk about In episode four, the Day the Skywave fell. Stupid is as stupid does as episode five, as I relate some really dumb things I've done. I talk about my weird health problems in episode six the Pimple, how I had to pull my boss's hands out from around the throat of a shoplifter, or in episode seven you bit my hand, And how as a little kid, I was in the middle of the nineteen sixty seven Detroit Riots. Episode eight Detroit Burns. Episode nine, How to Have a Career for Dummies is about how I managed to muddle my way through a successful career path. In episode ten, the Pope Died and No One called me, I talk about my time in Catholic school. Episode eleven, Uncle Dout is about my favorite, albeit weird uncle. Number twelve Suckers and Balloons is about a music career that never had a chance. Episode thirteen, Dates that Live in Infamy is about nine to eleven the Pulse nightclub, shooting hurricanes and the like. Numbers fourteen and fifteen of You from the Ivory Tower about those clueless managers and company owners. I related several brushes with greatness in episode sixteen the Rest of the story, how the media is skewing the public psyche, in number seventeen, the media is the massage, and in number eighteen, the President is sick. How a little kid experienced the Kennedy assassination. Games Companies Play is episode nineteen. Stories that Probably torqu some people off. I talk about time travel in number twenty bow the knee being in the middle of a space shuttle disaster. In episode twenty one, Go and Throttle Up and installment twenty two, How Bola Paskette launched a thirty eight plus year marriage a mentally challenged visit to the Big Fat Park in episode twenty three, How sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do in installment twenty four, how weird radio can really be in episode twenty five, and how there are clowns to the Left of Me Jokers to the Right in episode twenty six. So what's next? Are there more stories to tell? Now? Probably they'll hit me in the middle of the night. But in the meantime, for season two of My View from the Middle, I'd like to know your stories of being in the middle of things, of riding down the road and having God's guardrails bump you back into the straight and narrow. Tales of things unusual, tales of things inspiring, tales of things that make you reflect on life in the world around you. It doesn't have to be a long drawn out story, as you can see by these episodes there. We're all relatively short as podcasts go, and I can help you put your story into words. It'll be your View from the Middle. I love it when someone comments on a specific episode. You never really know what will spark someone's interest. It all depends on the path they're on in life as to what they're interested in. Some topics just strike a chord with some people. I may have torqued some people off, especially in the Ivory Tower and Clowns to the Left of Me episodes, but as I said at the very beginning of this thing, all the stories are as factual as my memory will allow, and if it puts someone in a not so flattering light, well I really can't help that. I don't use the names of those people anyway. My mission is to inspire and entertain, not to get back at anyone. So now it's your turn. There are a lot of weird or inspiring stories in the big city, and your story may strike a chord with someone else and help them cope with things that they are going through. Hopefully you've had a few god things in your life that you can relate. We'll set up a time when you and I can discuss these things. Send me a note had Jim at my View from the Middle dot com and give me a quick summary of your story. If it fits, we'll expand on it during your episode. We can do it in person or on Skype or zoom. Now. Don't expect a financial windfall out of this. I'd be glad to share the five bucks with you if and make it feel any better. But our goal is to inspire and entertain people and make them think. So thank you for your faithful listening. Hopefully we'll be around for a bit longer. By listening, I feel like you've all contributed to the stories in one way or another. So from me to you, Happy anniversary, baby, I've got you on my mind. I'm Jim pulling and that's my View from the Middle. In the next episode, ever have something stolen from you? Ever have someone stolen from you? It can be very irritating. The story of Fred and Ethel next on My View from the Middle. Have a story to tell about being in the middle, let us know. Email Jim at my View from the Middle dot com. That's Jim at My View from the Middle dot com.