In spite of the rain and excess humidity, I managed to have a few delightful surprises on files I’ve been working on for the past month. Seems every cloud does have a silver lining. I can’t stress enough with people, and even more so the younger crowd, to be aware of the extra miles some people go to get things done for them, and to be sure of thanking them for what they do. Too often in these times I find people expecting those extra miles to be provided to them as part of the job of the ones giving those extras.
It’s no wonder there are so many crabby service people in our midst. If one is expected to give more with a smile and not even get a “thank you” in return, can certainly be an attitude adjuster. A very nice government worker went the extra mile for me today and I couldn’t have thanked her enough and I know she appreciated it. Everyone likes to be thanked for what they do. It’s all part of feeling needed as well as connected to society.
I got a good laugh today by someone telling me about one of those thankless amongst us by saying, “You gotta remember this person never makes a mistake, anytime something goes wrong, it’s always someone else’s fault, and to be sure, this person is owed everything simply because that’s the way it’s always been.” I was keen to mention that it isn’t necessary to foresee or wish bad on people like that because they usually more soon than later bring themselves down. I’m just glad I’m not the one driving the karma bus around. Isn’t it better to feel as though you’ve warmed someone’s spirit by acknowledging their extra efforts?
Feeling a bit zapped after showing a handful of nasty homes today brings me back to the haunting question I’ve had for nearly all the years I’ve sold real estate, and that question is, “What do people do with all their free time at home when not working?” I understand how sometimes household chores get pushed back a bit when busy, but to have filthy bathrooms and kitchens is beyond my comprehension. Evidently they have no shame in listing their homes in such conditions and allowing everyone to see how really bad their housekeeping is. The visuals are bad enough for me, but the smells continue to get me to this day. There was a tenant once who rented one my my clients homes and to look at him you would swear he kept everything spotless on the interior. That was certainly not the case when I did my walk-thru after the move-out. Between piles of beer cans littered about to likely a hundred pizza boxes in the garage gave me a real understanding of the “wrappings” of an individual. Most people can be pigeon-holed to where we can assume they are at home as they are at work, but once in a while we find the total opposites. Some years later that tenant asked if I had anything available and had the audacity to say, “I’d be a really good tenant because you know I always pay my rent on time.” It was unfortunate for him that I fully recalled the condition of the unit he moved out of years earlier.
I’m starting to become internally excited about a home that I’ll be getting listed soon. In thinking about it today with all the endless features and possibilities, caused me to have many positive thoughts on this day rainy.
