Another closing for Holtz Realty took place today that had a soft landing. I’m becoming ever more watchful for possible land mines in transactions since hearing more and more horror stories about transactions going sideways for reasons that could have been avoided. I’m getting more stressed about one particular sale that’s being funded by one of the on-line lending companies. In all the years I’ve sold real estate, this is the first time I’ve been involved in one of these types of loans and thus far, I’m not the happiest with the results. As of tomorrow, we will be over a prescheduled closing date and really haven’t been given a clear reason why. The most irritating for me is the use of oily words from the processors when using these new expressions that’ve arrived in our business world communication in which the words “reaching out” are inserted. For me it has a far too personal over-tone of either on the side of being religions, or being overly-needy in a faux way. It makes one simply want to throw them a log chain and say, “This is my thanks to you for “reaching out”! Yes, we all have our own quirky way of saying thinks, but this looks like its starting to become widespread. For example, I still refer to cardboard boxes as pasteboard boxes. It was hardcoded early on for me.
Yesterday I was reading some clipped-out newspaper articles that were saved from newspapers back in the 1880’s. In reading them, I can say without a doubt our American English language has certainly evolved. Some of them are tasty morsels that are worth repeating and certainly appropriate for today’s readers. One of them, I am sharing with you word for word, and it reads as follows:
The Spare Bed
One night, a Judge, a military office, and a minister, all applied for a lodging at an inn where there was but one spare bed, and the landlord was called upon to decide which had the best claim of the three. I have lain fifteen years in the garrison at ______,” said the officer. “I have sat as judge for twenty years, in R_______,” said the judge. “With your leave gentlemen, I have stood in the pulpit twenty-five years, at M______.” said the minister. “That settles the dispute,” said the landlord. “You, Mr. Captain, have lain fifteen years; you, Mr. Judge, have sat twenty years; while this old fellow has been standing up for the last twenty-five years, so he certainly has the best right to the bed.”
It’s interesting to find even in back in the 1880’s a bit of jabbing towards people who considered themselves entitled simply because of their social rankings. Doesn’t it sound so true today when we find people in power considering themselves deserving of special treatment? I bristle a bit whenever I find some of my colleagues being noticeably obsequious towards clients and customers; and it becomes comical in finding the recipients being greased with oily words actually enjoying it. Someone challenged me over the weekend in saying that I certainly don’t speak as matter-of-factly with clients and customers as he sometimes finds me to be. My response was, “You already know my answer to that because you know fully well I don’t have much of a mindset to start beating around the bush.” Whom of the three would you choose to offer your spare bed?
