Check the Rear View Mirror!
I was in that blissful state of not quite half a sleep, not yet awake, and dreaming. I was well into a sci-fi like dream about how we were all in a big hurry trying to get to the future first. “Is it a race?” It seemed paramount, “where is ‘first’ in the future anyway? Then Poof! To late, so sad, I’m awake, and it quickly fades then the alarm goes off.
I’ve been kicking this idea around the last week or so about life is like driving a car. What keeps coming up for me is the thought, “It’s important to keep your eyes on the road ahead of you, but don’t forget to be aware of what’s going on behind you and from where you came…”
Check the Rear View Mirror.
Dang, I’m out of coffee this morning! I have a Costco run planned so I didn’t buy any at the big box grocery store. I’m no fool, I got my recession corrected head on. So I opt to swing by Starbucks which throws me into a different little internal conflict. Darn those budgets anyway! I recall a Bush message from a few years back, “Be a good citizen and go shopping.”
As I walk in I see a familiar group of faces sitting at a table back in the corner. They see me coming through the door and invite me to join their table. “Sure, I’ll be right over”, and I order my Pike’s Place drip, room for cream, my affordable favorite.
As I join the table I’m thinking what a great way to start the day with some of my real estate pals. The conversation is mixed and as you would expect there were stories and speculation about the current state of our market. Some were working on new deals, others were trying to get there listings sold, and one was in the quagmire of a nightmare short sale. And yes, the inevitable question came up, “When do you think the market is going to turnaround and get better?”
I started my career in title back in 1984 and lately I’m seeing a little irony in that and catch myself thinking about the George Orwell novel. (Must have been the dream?) I’ve known these guys a long time. We’ve shared a lot of stories over the years and we’ve attended numerous events together. We’ve all spent time volunteering to help orphans, the abused, and those in the military. We’ve done drives for local food banks, cleaned up yards and homes for the elderly, and gathered toys for tots at Christmas. One of the attender’s was even Santa Claus a few times. Good memories.
We didn’t solve any of the world’s problems this morning. Just some local guys hanging out for a few, slurping some coffee, catching up. Maybe times are uncertain, but at that moment it was like looking into a mirror and it gave me a sense of belonging and comfort. Knowing I had a shared past with these guys gave me some continuity and the future seemed brighter somehow. We’ll make it…
Time to hit the road. I’m sufficiently caffeinated now with a head full of conversation and stories to think about. This was the idea I was really kicking around. It just happened. Thanks guys!
“It’s important to keep your eyes on the road ahead of you, but don’t forget to be aware of what’s going on behind you and from where you came…”
Check the Rear View Mirror.
9 months ago