Last night I caught the ending of the 2008 film Gran Torino, directed, produced and starring Clint Eastwood. Although I have seen this movie several times before, this was the first time I was stirred by emotion and reflection – perhaps it’s because I’m older, more experienced, mature, and as I progress in the Real Estate business, I perceive things differently.
2008 was not long ago; yet so much has happened to our American culture since the movie was released which now causes me to pause and share my thoughts at a deeper level because this is a topic that deserves more discussion.
ATTACHMENT
What happens to many people who own property is an attachment to the material goods acquired over the span of a lifetime. In the story, the main character Walt Kowalski, widower, retired American worker from the state of Michigan, homeowner, and former vet played by Clint Eastwood had an attachment to his car, a Gran Torino which is the target of a gang initiation. Although widowed after 50 years and alienated from his immediate family he clings to his car because he desires to hold on to something from his past. His son and family fails to understand and would prefer to put his father into a retirement home while their daughter has her eye on the Gran Torino and not the human heart of the grandfather.
As a professional in the Real Estate industry, I see many people who have formed attachments to material goods. While often referred to as clutter, it’s a sentimental journey that requires sensitivity to a human need to cling to past memories and their independence. When an owner, particularly a senior or a widower faces the dilemma of having to sell their home and let go, it takes compassion and understanding to discover the elephant or the obstacles that needs to be addressed. After a spouse dies, I know it’s not easy to let go of the past. I myself was faced with making tough decisions after my own spouse died many years ago.
A STORAGE HOUSE OF MEMORIES
A home is more than just a dwelling – it’s a storage house of memories mixed in with strong emotions that cannot be denied. I sat on the edge of my couch last night with a trunk load of photographs that I was sorting through earlier in the day depicting my past while the finale of Gran Torino flashed before my eyes on the flat-screen T.V. I asked myself, What are the things I am attached to in my life? As a Real Estate agent, I am always amazed at what causes people to be indecisive about letting go, or the collections found stuffed in curio cabinets, hanging on walls, stored in closets, placed under a magnet on a refrigerator, shoved in drawers, or stored in the garage.
CAN THE BOND OF NEIGHBORS BE STRONGER THAN FAMILY?
Life goes on and human needs change. Neighbors often form a stronger bond with each other, whether they like it or not than blood relatives who are distant in more ways than one. In the Clint Eastwood movie, we get to know the character Walt Kowalski on a deeper level because it's the same American story from the past, still going on today, and will continue into the future: Business shut downs, loss of job security, homes depreciating after the bubble burst, people losing their homes because of banks, government loans, and sub-prime lending, age, change in maritial status, downsizing, and family members no longer occupants of the home. Then, there's change to deal within the community,i.e., immigration, such as the Hmong community moving into the neighborhood, the changing landscape of old established ethnic neighborhoods, neighborhood stores going out of business, gangs swooping into the neighborhood, crime, the challenge to own turf and survive whether you are a teenager in the prime of your life or a senior facing old age, sickness or death. And then there's the loneliness of being alienated or not understood by family members or worse, Real Estate agents.
It takes a professional to understand the "Elephant," or the obstacles which stand between you and your storage house of memories. Letting go is hard to do... I know and I understand. What does the prospect of new beginnings have to do with the end times of saying goodbye to a way of life? If you are thinking about moving into or away from the Dallas Metroplex, I would love to hear from you. I will not rush you into making any decisions you're not prepared to make; however, I will be there to guide you through your sentimental journey with respect, integrity, and true professionalism.
©PATRICIA FEAGER 11/18/2013
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