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Silver Linings in the Clouds Over the Gulf of Mexico

By
Education & Training with Sell with Soul

cloudsI have a dozen blogs about real estate saved in draft mode, all ready to go here on AR, but this week I'm in a mood to talk about oil. Yesterday I posted "Give BP a Break!" and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support I received for my opinion that it's time to stop bashing BP and join together, spiritually at least, to Solve the Problem.

Today I'd like to follow up on a comment I made on that blog... specifically... what might be some silver linings that follow as a result of the disaster? I'm no history buff, but seems to me I heard or read somewhere that the bombing of Pearl Harbor put an end to the Great Depression. So, yeah, the loss of life and property really sucked, but from the perspective of several decades into the future, might have been the best thing that could have happened to our country.

With me?

So, what good might come out of the Worst Oil Spill in American History?

I'm thinking that if we focus on the positive, the power of the combined optimism of the masses might bring about positive results we never dreamed of. Will we be grateful for the oil spill? Maybe not in this lifetime, but that doesn't mean it has to be a complete and utter disaster...

Here are some thoughts I have on the matter.

•       If, somehow, the oil does not reach the gorgeous beaches of Northwest Florida, or if it's cleaned up quickly, all the national publicity of the gorgeousness here may result in an economic boom for the area. It could happen.

•       As BP and others frantically search for solutions to the various problems caused by the spill, someone may make a society-changing discovery that will solve our energy needs for generations to come. It could happen.

•       As the clean-up progresses, new technologies may be invented that will create new industries that will employ thousands. It could happen.

Frankly, whatever the outcome of the disaster, we'll be okay. Life may never be the same. But we will adjust and this too, shall pass.

Any more thoughts on how we as a society might benefit from the oil spill? Please share!

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Comments(40)

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Robert Vegas Bob Swetz
Las Vegas, NV

Hello Jennifer and I think this post follows your post before this one and I find them quite fitting. I hope you don't mind another feature my friend at ...

LOVE AT ACTIVERAIN 

VB ;-)

Jun 16, 2010 01:07 AM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul

Thank you Robert! I don't think I thanked you for the first feature... Baaad Jennifer... so double thanks!

Lane... I can think of a few, too...

Jun 16, 2010 01:13 AM
Dick and Dixie Sells
Sells Real Estate, LLC - Trinity, FL
Realtors, Tampa Bay Florida Homes For Sale

Maybe, just maybe we can learn from these mistakes. I wish I could turn this into a positive, but it is a disaster that should not of happened.

Jun 16, 2010 01:33 AM
Robert Rauf
CMG Home Loans - Toms River, NJ

I am surprised you got so "bashed" here for looking for a silver lining.  Just entirely too much negativity in our world.

Jun 16, 2010 01:44 AM
Mike Frazier
Carousel Realty of Dyer County - Dyersburg, TN
Northwest Tennessee Realtor

Jennifer,

I also featured this on silent majority so this one will stick around a while longer:)

Jun 16, 2010 03:40 AM
Shannon Lewis
Beringer Realty - Champaign, IL
Realtor, Broker - Champaign-Urbana, IL

Jennifer, please don't take this the wrong way, but you would make a horrible politician. Haha. Your statements here are far from politically-correct, but you make an excellent point. No, you're not saying that you would wish this tragedy upon anyone, and I think that's what some here have misinterpreted. Rather, you're trying to see the good in an irreversible event. I appreciate that kind of thinking, and I really do hope that some good will come of this unfortunate event.

Jun 16, 2010 04:51 AM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul

Thank you, Shannon... that's exactly what I was trying to say.

Mike - Thanks!!!

Robert - Cain't please everyone, I guess. I think I'll go back to talking about part-timers versus full-timers. Much less controversial than silver linings.

D&D... Agreed... I truly hope it doesn't get to you.

Jun 16, 2010 11:50 AM
Denise Montalvo
Bradley Real Estate - San Anselmo, CA
Realtor on the Move – Keeping Pace with the Market

I'm surprised. After your ridiculous statement yesterday saying we need to go easy on BP, now you're saying that Pearl Harbor wasn't so bad. Next, you'll probably say that Sarah Palin is ready to be President. I'm frustrated that I would follow your real estate advice when you seem not to really understand how these big corporations have moved our jobs overseas and are earning huge profits. Our wildlife and pristine waters are permanently destroyed while the profits keep on coming for BP. Regulations are important. Imagine if we didn't have them for food, automobiles, building standards, air quality, medicine, air travel, etc.

BP isn't even an American company. They should have been held to the highest standard no matter how costly. Deceased workers are irreplaceable. Killingwildlifee from the bottom of the ocean to our coastal shores inexcusable. And you say they shouldn't have had to pay more to protect us? I'm picturing you in the photo you showed of yourself wading in the clear waters on day standing ankle deep in oily muck with your BP t-shirt on.

Jun 16, 2010 03:36 PM
Anonymous
Peggy Roberts (PhoenixGreenHomes.com)

Jennifer, as a positive thinker myself, I appreciate your attempt at putting a good ol' positive spin on an ecological disaster of biblical proportions, but I am deeply saddened by your cavalier attitude  -- if the tar balls and oil globs don't hit YOUR community's pristine beaches (lucky you, but don't put away your breathing mask and rubber boots just yet) THAT'S a silver lining because...well, too bad about it trashing the rest of the Gulf Coast and devastating the communities, wetlands, wildlife and livelihoods of thousands of hard-working Gulf Coast residents?  And oops -- so what's a few gazillion more gallons spewed daily over BP's "official" estimates -- no big woop?

I am a desert dweller but still heartbroken by the loss of life as well as the destruction of our country's ecological treasures and ecosystems before our very eyes due to pure negligence and greed by one of the world's largest corporations, BP. They must be held accountable and brought to justice so this type of man-made tragedy never happens again. The $20 billion escrow account for damages they set aside today after being strong-armed by our Presdent is a decent start -- but only that, as the BP Oil "spill" continues spewing and gushing unabated for the most part and the ultimate devastation is incalculable at this point.

Yes, hopefully this tragedy will serve as a wakeup call that moves us toward a more sustainable, clean energy future. But... give BP a break?! C'mon, give US a break!

Jun 16, 2010 03:45 PM
#29
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Denise seems to be angry at the wrong people and about the wrong things... 

 

Jun 16, 2010 03:47 PM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul

Peggy - Today the oil fumes over Pensacola Beach made it dangerous to go outside and it's pretty much a certainty gooey oil is only days away. We've had tar balls for a few weeks now. It's going to get worse, much worse. I'm not cavalier about that, or about the disaster at all. It's heartbreaking for the victims of the explosion and their families, the wildlife who will suffer and die and the people who will lose their livelihoods and their way of life.

I am sorry if my attitude seems dismissive. I can see how you might feel that way. But I do believe good will come of this, which is not the same thing as saying this is a good thing. As far as giving BP a break... I've commented more on that on the "other" blog and won't repeat myself here.

Denise - We are worlds apart in ideology and nothing I say or you say will change that. Nor should it. But I'm really sorry that you feel I have nothing to offer you professionally because my politcal beliefs differ from yours.

Lane - This has been an amazing eye-opening experience for me - I rarely (ever?) discuss religion or politics publicly and perhaps I should have kept it that way.

Jun 16, 2010 06:17 PM
Anonymous
Peggy Roberts (PhoenixGreenHomes.com)

Jennifer -- I truly am sorry for all the suffering this catastrophe is bringing down upon everyone -- whether we realize it or not, it does affect us all. My heart goes out to everyone whose lives and livelihoods are being personally impacted. I think we can all agree, may this nightmarish scenario cease and yes, absolutely, may it move us in a positive new direction soon.

Jun 17, 2010 10:45 AM
#32
Wendy Rulnick
Rulnick Realty, Inc. - Destin, FL
"It's Wendy... It's Sold!"

Jennifer - We may hope there are some brilliant solutions, maybe slightly less than the nukes Russia uses, to solve this problem now and in the future.  Or maybe we should just use the nukes.

Jun 17, 2010 12:17 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Basic rules are Crisis Management:

  • Look for an immediate future danger (will something else bite while we....)
  • Fix the immediate problem... stop the bleeding
  • Figure out what went wrong
  • Figure out if it can happen again... can it be stopped... how?
  • Assign blame if blame is to be assigned
  • Punish.

Unfortunately, this administration is trying to the first 4 steps... 

Jun 17, 2010 04:21 PM
Denise Montalvo
Bradley Real Estate - San Anselmo, CA
Realtor on the Move – Keeping Pace with the Market

Jennifer;

I think it would have been wise to keep your politics separate from your professional persona. Politics and religion can really alienate people. I respect you professionally but I think you've made people like me who have a very different opinion of how our country should be run feel awkward about you because we know more than we want to about your politics. Lane doesn't know me and doesn't know where my opinions come from and why I feel the way I do. Again, that's why we should stick to our common goal, selling real estate and serving our clients.

Jun 17, 2010 06:03 PM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul

Denise - thanks for your follow-up comments. Your comments and others like it have been rolling around in my head for the last few days - should one keep one's political opinions to oneself in a public forum? Here's the thing - until the comments started rolling in, I had no idea my viewpoints on the oil spill had anything to do with politics - they were just one woman's view of what's happening in her backyard (literally). It never occured to me that it would become a political debate - it didn't start out that way in my mind.

But here we are and some of my readers know more about my political leanings than they want to, perhaps. Time will tell if this was a bad move on my part or not. I hear what you're saying - I think - you WANT to like me and my stuff, but you don't feel good about liking me and my stuff because I have different opinions from you on an unrelated matter.

I shall return to blogging about real estate for the most part, but the events this week did inspire more blogs about political leanings and I will be interspersing them here among the real estate ones.

Lane - did you see my last comment over on the other blog? I posted a Letter to the Editor saying something similar.

Wendy - Maybe... heavens, the fall-out (no pun intended) from that would be tremendous... talk about a controversial move!

Peggy - Amen!

Jun 17, 2010 11:51 PM
Christa Ross
RE/MAX Select Realty - REALTOR and Green Homes Specialist - Pittsburgh, PA
Helping you buy and sell Pittsburgh's Best Homes

It's an opportunity for our country to learn something and make a change for clean, alternative energy!

Jun 21, 2010 03:44 AM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Jennifer:  I admit I am getting to this party a little late... but actually, I am glad I did.  This way, at least on this post, I get to read the post, and then 37 comments... by others and by yourself... before I make my comment.

But first... I need to go into the other room... and get ready to comment.  I will do this... by biting my tongue... and then by biting it again... and again... until my reaction to your statements, and to most of the others... subsides.

Several words come to mind.  Bizarre.  Incredulous.  And others less polite.

I see a total lack of empathy.  And a way of looking at things that just ... to be polite... surprised and dismays me... and to be blunt... just knocks the poop out of me.

To say that after you have made these horrific statements... that my opinion of you has changed... would be an understatement.

I am disappointed.  I expected more.

Jun 21, 2010 04:04 AM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul

Karen Anne - As with the other comments that were bitterly unhappy with my stance, my words and/or my tone, your comment shook me. 

I live here on the Gulf Coast. No, I'm not from here and I don't have deep roots, but I do live here. And I do have tremendous empathy for those who are suffering and will suffer. I'm not sure what I said that gives you the impression that I don't care; perhaps it is my style of writing that tends to be, as Robin describes, provocative. Neither am I sure what I said that was horrific - although I assume you are referring to my comments about 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. Obviously (hopefully), I am not a monster, so I'd hoped my words would be taken in the spirit in which they were written. Clearly I failed there with some.

This has been a very eye-opening experience for me at the ripe old age of 43. I don't expect to change your mind about my character, so I won't try. But I know you've been a long-time supporter of SWS and I'm very sad to see you go.

Jun 21, 2010 08:48 AM
Robert Vegas Bob Swetz
Las Vegas, NV

Your very welcome Jennifer and I see you have your hands full with all those "Gold Stars"

VB ;-)

Jun 25, 2010 01:58 PM
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