Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes ~ A valuable lesson learned

After reading an ActiveRain featured post written by Joe Pryor.com, I was inspired to write this post.  Although Joe's post was regarding BPO's, he ended his post with the following inspiring phrase he used as his Facebook status:

Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way if they get angry they will be a mile away and you have their shoes.

In the fall of 2009 my parents' neighbor of 35 years listed her Belleville New Jersey house for sale.  Now this wasn't just any neighbor.  For so many years of my childhood we were very, very close. They moved in when I was three, she was widowed shortly thereafter, and most of my childhood was spent either playing school in their basement, hide and seek in the school yard across the street, many days and nights of her and my mom drinking endless cups of tea, my sister and I were even in her daughter's wedding.  Over the years, as we all got older,  got married and moved away, we didn't see each other as much unless we were all at her childhood homes for a holiday or one of our weddings and even my mom and her didn't share as many cups of tea as they had during our childhood years.

With our history, I am sure many of you could imagine my shock when my dad called me one morning and said there was a real estate sign on her lawn and a few hours later I sat amazed as it popped up on my mls hotsheet.  Thinking where did this out of area "Joe Shmoe Real Estate Company" come from and selfishly thinking how after 35 years could she not even have given me the opportunity to at least present my listing presentation!!  As I mumbled some not so nice things under my breath in the privacy of my own home and was hurt by her actions, as a professional I moved on and never ever confronted her or spoke a word of my animosity to anyone. 

Just the other day my father ran into her outside and she explained that an unfortunate circumstance had happened which forced her out of her home.  For privacy reasons I will not disclose her circumstance but the Joe Schmoe's real estate sign on her front lawn wasn't put there by a company she hired and that she was forced to vacate the premises by this Friday (which is today).  My first thought was perhaps if she had called me, I could have tried to help her but listening to my father retell me the story, this was more than just a Belleville short sale. To think that my neighbor of 35 years, who's Belleville house had been paid off for many, many years was in a situation where she now lost her home, is very, very sad. 

As tears fill my eyes for 35 years of the memories shared, the hundreds of make believe classes we taught in the school basement, the endless cups of tea poured, the selfish criticism I muttered when the house was listed for sale not knowing the unfortunate circumstances around it and of what she had been through in the last few months.....Joe Pryor really hit home when writing on his Facebook page yesterday the same words I just updated my status with.....

Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way if they get angry they will be a mile away and you have their shoes.

After writing Who Says You Can't Go Home, reality has hit home and unfortunately my Belleville home will never be the same when I look at the house next door. 

I can still hear the tea pot whistling.........................

 

 

Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.

 

 

Gina Chirico, Sales Associate

973-715-1158 (cell)

973-992-6363 ext 116 (office)

Gina.Chirico@PrudentialNewJersey.com

http://GinaChiricoRealEstate.com

****With deep roots in the Essex County, I service buyers and sellers throughout many Essex County communities and neighboring Morris, Passaic and Union Counties, specializing in the entire West Essex Communities (including Fairfield, Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Roseland, Essex Fells, Verona and Cedar Grove) and my hometown areas of Belleville, Bloomfield and Nutley.****

 When Opportunity Knocks...Make Sure Gina Chirico is There to Answer Your Door!