Common Sense is Not Overrated
Yesterday was a busy day. It was my first day back at work from vacation, and unfortunately, I had an eye doctor's appointment scheduled that took up a couple of hours, that meant less time to devote to marketing my newest listing. The contact lenses that I had been given as a trial were beginning to irritate my eyes and I couldn't see so well out of them. But, since they were temporary, I didn't panic. A new pair were waiting for me at the eye doctor.
When the doc looked at my lenses she told me there were a lot of deposits on them. Apparently, as well as I have been washing my hands, I'm not doing a good enough job. Some people may recoil and go into defensive mode when hearing this, but not me. The doc pulled out a study about the parts of our fingers than get overlooked in our hand washing activity. If you wash your hands like everyone else, your fingertips aren't getting clean. Think about it. So when I went to a sink to wash up and put in the new ones, I was careful to wash the tips. Very important as a contact lens wearer. Thankfully, I am open to common sense.
Not all people are open to common sense. That's probably because some love to wallow in anger, blame others for everything, and create conspiracy theories. Social media makes this all too easy. An entire community can be swept up into a fury over what amounts to very little to be upset about. And as someone who has been a visible member of HOAs, I am often a target of finger pointing. It comes with the territory. You can't make everyone happy and you certainly can't logic with people determined to be angry.
Some folks wonder why in the world I would volunteer my time to be the target of angry home owners when my job as a real estate agent is to gain trust and the all important LIKE. I don't worry with the people that don't like me. And the only difference with serving on an HOA is that you actually hear and see the dislike. But trust me, dislike is always there lingering even if you don't hear about it. It's human nature. People like people like them. And sometimes, you can find common ground with folks that are diametrically opposed to what you believe.
My newest listing in Braemar came from an unlikely source. When I met the owner of the home, it was at an exhibit put on by the developer of a proposed neighboring community. There was a connection to another community that I was in favor of. She was not. We both possess common sense and the ability to respect opposing view points by not making it our way or the highway. We didn't stand and yell at each other. We listened to each other and ended up connecting every once in a while over other community issues. Whether or not I got business from this person, I would enjoy the fact that we became friends. In a world where so many are ready to smite anyone who they see as opposing their own view points, it is a treat to meet and become friends with folks who think differently, but possess the ability to listen, respect and agree to disagree, or talk over what may be a mutually beneficial solution.
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